Three centuries of Italian still-life masterpieces
Mention the word still life and most of us think of Dutch or Flemish masterpieces—cascades of flowers and cornucopias of fruit. The impressive collection of Italian paintings currently being shown at the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung is proof that still-life painting was very much a feature of Italian art as well. Following the high idealism and grand subject matter of Renaissance painting, a fascination with objects of daily life emerged. It proved an enduring preoccupation—as this exhibition of works from the 16th to 18th century shows.There are many reasons why still-life painting became popular in Italy at this time. Imitating antique mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum was an obvious point of departure for artists of the day. Scientific treatises written in the 15th and 16th centuries with the aim of cataloguing the natural world demanded illustrations of flora and fauna. Accurate representation became so important that artists tried to outdo nature and fool the observer with their trompe l’œil images. Compared to majestic biblical and mythological scenes still lifes made nature accessible and domesticity acceptable. Beyond that, the depiction of decaying fruit, skulls, burnt-out candles and other symbols show the ephemeral nature of life and the vanity of human ambition—undermining the very ability the artist sought to demonstrate.
Anyone visiting this exhibition will come away believing that the reputation of still-life painting as the poor cousin of grander genres is wholly unjustified, as is the fact that Italian still-life painting of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries has been largely neglected in recent years—the last major exhibition of such works was held in Naples almost 40 years ago. The 200 paintings in this exhibition include masterpieces by such artists as Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Evaristo Baschenis, Abraham Brueghel, Caravaggio, Albrecht Dürer, Salvatore Rosa and Bernardo Strozzi as well as works by lesser-known artists such as Paolo Porpora, Giuseppe Ruoppolo or Tommaso Salini. A number of works are being exhibited for the first time.
Many visitors will be familiar with the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, (1527–1593), who used images of fruit and vegetables to create human portraits. On display at the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung are some of his most famous works, in which human faces are formed by using, for example, a zucchini for a nose, peas in the pod for lips, figs for eyes and garlic bulbs for ears. His equation of human life with the shelf life of comestibles is almost morbidly cynical. In comparison, Tommaso Salini’s (1685–1710) Young Peasant with a Flask celebrates human life amidst the opulence of luscious, verdant vegetables that seem to glow with vitality. In fact, visitors to the exhibition would be well advised to eat a good meal before they set out. The loving detail lavished by the 17th-century painter Paolo Porpora (1617–1673), for instance, on a colorful mix of fruit and flowers is a tribute to appetite and sensuality that exquisitely captures the delicate shades and textures of nature. In contrast, Albrecht Dürer’s (1471–1528) Lobster is a masterpiece of naturalism intended for observation rather than consumption.
In his still lifes, Evaristo Baschenis (1617–1677) focused on more durable objects—musical instruments, particularly violins. The painter grew up in the town of Bergamo close to where the Amati family had their famous violin workshop. This may explain his partiality to a subject matter that basked in the reflected glory of Cremona, the famous center of violin and lute making in northern Italy. His knowledge of the anatomy of such objects is clear in his artwork. His paintings reflect a moderate and cheerful realism and are lighter than those of many of his predecessors. Whereas some still-life painters were keen to emphasize the transience of life through the representation of the ephemeral (and the immoral), such as musical pastimes, or the suggestion of mortality through a dusty lute or damaged instrument, Baschenis concentrates on the instrument’s aesthetic and decorative qualities. He delights in the varied textural tones of woods and varnishes with a lightness of touch that anticipates the music itself.
Many of the works in the collection have different themes. Giuseppe Ruoppolo’s (1631–1710) paintings feature fish depicted in a grand style, whereas Caravaggio (1573–1610) often focused on the seemingly commonplace. His use of everyday objects popular in still lifes underscored his belief that all aspects of life deserved realistic representation. Despite their manifest differences, it is this concern with verisimilitude that characterizes all the works exhibited here.
“Still World—Italian Still Life” will run at the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung on Theatinerstrasse until February 23. Opening hours are from 10 am to 8 pm. For more information, phone (089) 37 82 81 62 or visit www.hypo-kunsthalle.de
