Francesco Lavagna ((1684-1724)

This fascinating and exuberant still life represents a testimony of excellence in Neapolitan flower painting of the mid-18th century, fully attributable to the hand and the pictorial repertoire of Francesco Lavagna. A pupil and principal heir of Gaspare Lopez's stylistic legacy, Lavagna stands out in the Neapolitan Rococo panorama for his extraordinary compositional freshness, chromatic brilliance, and a pronounced scenographic guidance in placing the floral compositions outdoors, among backdrops of monumental gardens, architectural elements, and gushing fountains. The composition unfolds with great dynamism on multiple planes of depth. At the center of the scene erupts a rich variety of floral species, including striped tulips, roses, anemones, carnations, and tiny country flowers, rendered with a brushstroke that is lively, swift, and charged with painterly substance. Among the bouquets laid in the foreground stands out a refined white-and-blue ceramic basin, partially resting on its side, flanked by a darkened metal vase from which a cascade of blossoms pours forth. On the right rises a stone fountain with a circular basin in which a clear jet of water flows, while in the background a balustrade accommodates an imposing terracotta decorative vase. The backdrop opens onto an invented garden bathed in the warm light of twilight, with treetop silhouettes and a sky sliced by soft clouds, wisely balanced to give breath and monumentality to the whole. From a conservation point of view, the painting is in generally very good condition. The painted surface retains its natural patina with a slight and uniform age crackle, a clear sign of sincere authenticity and proper aging of the pigments. The canvas is well taut on its period frame and shows a solid structure that has been well preserved over time. To ornament the work there is an imposing and elegant period cassetta frame, characterized by a refined color contrast between the ebony-black lacquer and the sumptuous gilt gold leaf for the geometric and vegetal motifs, finely worked with a burin and punch. On the frame’s crosspieces appear elegant palmettes and golden rosettes drawn by hand, while at the points of natural wear of time the red bole underlayer emerges, accompanied by minute crazing and old wormholes that have since stabilized, confirming the frame’s absolute originality and its perfect stylistic pertinence to the painting. Dimensions: Painting: width 73.5 cm, height 61 cm With frame: width 88.5 cm, height 74.5 cm

Estimation:€3,000

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