ANIELLO ASCIONE (attr. a) Lot n° 1150

(Naples, news from 1680 to 1708) Still life Oil on canvas, 96X132 cm This exuberant still life, albeit with oxidized varnish and a dirty surface, enraptures the eye for its compositional emphasis, achieved with precise drafting, carefully describing the different types of fruits and flowers while paying close attention to the luministic direction. The style highlights the influence of Abraham Brueghel and consequently the mature dating of its execution, when Ascione freed himself from the examples of Giovan Battista Ruoppolo and adhered to a flamboyant and baroque taste. It goes back precisely to the Roman models imported to Naples by Abraham Brueghel after 1670, who would renew the silent nature of Caravaggesque beginnings, setting it in the open air, according to an illustrative formula that would enjoy great success during the 18th century. Reference bibliography: L. Salerno, La natura morta italiana 1560 -1805, Rome 1984, pp. 230-231 R. Middione, Aniello Ascione, in La natura morta in Italia, II, edited by F. Porzio and F. Zeri, Milan 1989, pp. 931-933