Francesco Fieravino, genannt „Il Maltese“, auch... Lot n° 397

LARGE STILL LIFE WITH ORIENTAL CARPET, CEREMONIAL VESSELS AND FRUIT Oil on canvas. 80 x 107 cm. The presentation of oriental carpets is probably the most striking feature of the painter's work. As in other of his paintings, he shows objects arranged in a still-life-like manner, mostly valuable objects such as tower clocks, treasure chests or, as here, a ceremonial jug between glass vessels, a silver plate and a fruit platter. His often carravagesque contrasts of light and dark, which emphasize light and shadow, are striking. His fondness for oriental carpets may be due to his native Malta, at that time a trading center between the Orient and Italy. A similar still life with oriental carpet (oil on canvas, 97 × 132 cm) can be found in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. A.R. (1380754) (11)