(Milan 1613/16–1681 Bologna)
Pomegranates on a dish, peaches in a basket, figs and plums and grapes on a table,
oil on canvas, 127 x 160 cm, framed

Provenance:
with Gustavo Rol, Turin;
sale, Sotheby’s, New York, 22 May 2018, lot 54;
where acquired by the present owner

Pier Francesco Cittadini, known as il Milanese, was born in Milan in 1616, he trained in the workshop of Daniele Crespi. Around 1634 he moved to Bologna, where he became a pupil of Guido Reni. For roughly a decade he obtained sacred commissions in Emilia and also executed fresco decorations for the Bacchus Gallery in the Palace of Sassuolo. During the following years he predominantly painted still lifes, landscapes and portraits. Subsequently Cittadini was based in Rome and during his time there he had the opportunity to be part of an international culture of Northern, French and Neapolitan artists. Moreover, he was able to appropriate a new concept of representation, one of curiosity for the real, portraying the presence of people and things. Cittadini therefore began a more naturalistic revision of the subjects of his paintings, progressively moving away from the classicism of his earlier Emilian period.

The present composition depicts a table covered by a carpet with a white tablecloth on top, on which various fruits have been arranged some in containers with others placed elegantly in small groups. In the background and at the centre of the composition there is an embellished vase with a vermilion cloth behind it which acts as a backdrop. The drape breaks the background’s chromatic scheme and is connected to the fruits in the foreground by the use of colour. On the left, there is an architectural setting behind a pedestalled silver platter displaying pieces of torrone.

The present painting is typical of Cittadini’s painting and artistic conception.The fruit, foliage, sweets and carpets depicted have a vital presence in the painting and are not considered to be empty or abstract decoration with only a marginal role. Instead, the individual objects that he represents are the protagonists of his creations, and as such, they are shown with all of their individuality. Their delicate shadows are highlighted by a cold, analytical light, and their tactile qualities can be seen in the folding of the fabric and the softness of the peaches.