18th Century, Three Italian Still Life by Michele Antonio Rapous

18th Century, Three Italian Paintings Depicting Still Life by Michele Antonio Rapous (Turin, 1733 – 1819)

Available individually or as a pair

The three paintings, created in oil on canvas and presented in gilded wooden frames in style, depict still lifes with triumphs of flowers and fruit. The works are attributed to the excellent 18th-century Italian still life artist Michele Antonio Rapous (Turin, 1733 – 1819). The compositions are set outdoors, with tall trees in the background creating a backdrop and a dark atmosphere against which the vivid colors of the flowers stand out. The floral arrangements are placed in large Baroque vases, on architectural elements, or resting on the ground. The fruit, including melons, grapes, peaches, plums, and mushrooms, is arranged seemingly casually on the ground or spilled into a wicker basket. In the foreground, flowering plants in backlight contribute to creating depth in the scene. The canvases are a characteristic example of Rapous' artistic production, well-representing his skill in compositional rendering, materiality, and the masterful use of a vibrant, saturated palette in perfect balance.
Michele Antonio Rapous (or Rapos, as he was originally known, the name later being distorted to the French-sounding "Rapous") was undoubtedly the best still life artist in Piedmont between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Highly appreciated by the Savoy court and the local nobility, the artist is present in the main court residences and numerous private palaces and castles throughout Piedmont.
Michele Antonio Rapous was born in Turin in 1733 to Giuseppe Antonio and Anna Teresa Chiaravelli and died there in 1819. Brother of Vittorio Amedeo, also a prominent court painter, he specialized in the genre of still life, gaining success with the Savoy court, which commissioned works for the Reggia di Venaria Reale, Stupinigi, and the Royal Palace of Turin. Rapous' still lifes have particular characteristics that make them easily identifiable: among the fruits, one can often find bunches of grapes, peaches, plums, pomegranates, cherries, and sometimes melons; among the flowers, often gathered in large monumental vases, delicate roses, soft peonies, carnations, and tulips are featured. Architectural and decorative elements, such as the fluted vases and porcelain, draw on the grand models of the French tradition, in the style of Louis XV. Rapous interprets the Piedmontese Rococo taste with grace and decorative lightness, demonstrating his knowledge of 18th-century French still-life painters such as Jean-Baptiste Blain de Fontenay, François de Cuvilliés, and Alexandre-François Desporte.
The three works, originally conceived as overdoor paintings, are highly decorative and extremely pleasing, whether displayed together or individually in different settings.
The paintings are in good condition and have been relined with modern backing.