Francesco Questa della (1639-1724)

PAIR OF FLORAL STILL LIFES

10-20th years of the 18th century
Oil on canvas, 29x40 cm. Framed. Still lifes painted as counterparts depict an embossed vase standing on a marble slab, filled with tall flowers in dominant colours of red, white and blue. The centre of the bouquet is a compactly solid composition, with individual flower stems rising towards the top with large, distinctive blooms of poppies, africans and violets or veined tulips, freesias and again poppies and africans. The colours are elegantly restrained, with the background on the left being more heavily shaded, where the lighter flowers stand out, and the background on the right being more brightly lit, bringing the red tones of the flowers and the dark silhouettes of the foliage to the fore. The colour triad of red, white and blue is complemented by the golden tones of the africans in both still lifes. Near the vases on the panel are arrangements of rare Asian porcelains or European faience. Condition B.