Giacomo Nani, Still Life, 1740, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Details

Description

Giacomo Nani (Porto Ercole 1698 - Naples 1770)

Still Life with Flowers, Crystal and Liquor Stand, Icebox, Porcelain, and Basket … Read more Giacomo Nani (Porto Ercole 1698 - Naples 1770)

Still Life with Flowers, Crystal and Liquor Stand, Icebox, Porcelain, and Basket with Biscuits

Oil on canvas (64 x 73 cm - Framed 83 x 93 cm)

The painting featured is a work by the Neapolitan painter Giacomo Nani (Porto Ercole 1698 - Naples 1770) and delights us with a selection of his favorite elements in the creation of his exquisite still lifes; On a stone shelf, covered with an embroidered carpet, we see a series of objects, including two painted porcelain cups, a cake stand with two bottles of liqueur, and crystal glasses. There is also a clear glass vase filled with flowers, and finally some food items, a basket with biscuits, a wrapped Neapolitan eggplant, and an icebox with an oyster.

All of this is arranged to create a refined and highly elegant ensemble.

A pupil of Gaspare Lopez (Naples - Venice ca. 1732), one of the greatest genre painters of the era, Giacomo Nani developed an independent personality over time, much appreciated by 18th-century nobles and collectors, including the Duchess of Terranova and the Duke of Limatola, as well as the Bourbons.

King Charles of Bourbon owned numerous paintings, now housed in Naples and Caserta at the Royal Carditello Gallery.

Twenty-four canvases by Giacomo Nani were sent to Spain by Charles of Bourbon as gifts to his mother, Elisabeth Farnese, and are now housed at the Royal Palace of Riofrío, one of the residences of the Spanish royal family, and at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia.

A painter of still lifes, his works often featured a wide variety of foods. His compositions feature contemporary foods, and in particular, the series housed in Spain features, as if on a select menu, many of the dishes served at Neapolitan tables in those years.

He sometimes depicted traditional Neapolitan objects, as in the present painting: the typical rosolio wine, Capodimonte ceramics, and the icebox. These latter, in particular, are almost a hallmark of the painter, appearing in many of his paintings. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less