Francesco Noletti, Still Life with Playing Cards, a Puppy, Sweets, Fabrics, and Precious Objects, 17th Century, Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

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Description

Francesco noletti, known as maltese (malta, 1611 – rome, 1654), workshop of

still life with playing cards, a puppy, sweets, … Read more Francesco noletti, known as maltese (malta, 1611 – rome, 1654), workshop of

still life with playing cards, a puppy, sweets, fabrics, and precious objects

oil on canvas (98 x 136 cm - framed 116 x 154 cm)

full details of the painting (click here)

the scene depicts a sumptuous baroque composition with a table entirely covered in a dark fabric richly embroidered with gold floral motifs. An opulent display of objects is placed on the table, including playing cards, a puppy, sweets, and precious objects scattered on the floor.

the painting shown is a work from the workshop of the baroque painter francesco fieravino, known as maltese (malta, 1611 – rome, 1654),
active primarily in rome, where he was extremely prolific and enjoyed extraordinary success with collectors of the time, thanks to his exceptional creativity and the invention of unique posed life scenes.

his presence and fame are evidenced by the many compositions that have been restored to him in recent times, held in the most important public and private roman collections of the time, such as those of the albani, barberini, chigi, and colonna families.

adhering primarily to baroque compositional ideals, the artist produced an exceptional body of paintings united by a very rigorous composite scheme, characterized by an exuberant and sumptuous style, whose specific details are clearly recognizable in the painting presented here.

the chaotic and seemingly random arrangement of objects responds to a precise and profound iconographic program: each element is a moral symbol orchestrated to remind the viewer of the transience of earthly life (memento mori) and the futility of material pleasures in the face of the inevitability of death.

thus, the cards scattered on the table and floor, along with the backgammon board and chessboard, symbolize the worldly pleasures of gambling and therefore blind fate. Displayed thrown to the floor, they emphasize how earthly fortune, wealth, and material success are unstable and destined to crumble in the face of the only inevitable certainty: death.

luck, inherent in gambling, represents the precariousness of human fortune, linked to chance and unpredictability, just like life itself. Gambling was considered a fleeting pastime that distracted man from spiritual duties, fully embodying the "vanity" of earthly passions.

the rich, dark, gold-embroidered fabric on which the objects rest and the golden curtain that opens like a curtain also have an allegorical meaning: they represent the theater of life. The ostentatious wealth is merely a temporary display, an ephemeral stage that death, sooner or later, will close.

then there is the little dog, which in baroque still lifes, often immortalized in a setting of opulence, takes on a dual allegorical meaning. Traditionally, the dog is a symbol of spiritual and moral fidelity, and its presence serves as a warning to the observer to remain vigilant and faithful to god, without being corrupted by the material temptations around them.

the fact that the little dog rests on a sumptuous, embroidered velvet cushion emphasizes the comfort and luxury of 17th-century aristocratic life, a material well-being destined, however, to vanish.

finally, the sweets, with the sugared biscuits with the typical "spongy" consistency that characterizes the painter's style, and the flask of wine, represent the pleasures of gluttony and take on a precise allegorical meaning linked to vanitas, urging us not to be fooled by the temporary sweetness of earthly pleasures, highlighting their intrinsic fragility and corruption. Just like music or the beauty of cut flowers, the sweetness of food is a momentary joy that fades as soon as it is consumed.

to confirm the attribution proposed here, simply compare our captivating still life with other similar works by noletti, including:
image 1 - f. Noletti, "large still life with a dog, tray, and casket on a table covered with an embroidered carpet" (pierre bergé & associates paris, 9.4.2019), https://www.pba-auctions.com/lot/97138/10050993
image 2. - f. Noletti, "still life with carpet, cushion, dog, and candied fruit" (antiques market, florence) https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/88075/
image 3 - f. Noletti, "still life with cavalier king charles spaniel, parrot, and sweets" (hampel, munich, 3 december 2020)
https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/archive-catalogue-detail.html?la=it&a=125&s=734&id=563\.

additional information:

the painting is sold complete with a beautiful gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic . 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



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