Nature Morte de Fleurs dans un jardin

Still Life of Flowers with Putto and Fountain
Michele Antonio Rapous (Turin 1733-1819)
Late 18th century
Canvas 120 x 148
Frame 136 x 172
Very good condition

This splendid still life, of considerable scenic impact, stands out for its pictorial elegance and refinement.
It is masterfully set outdoors in a garden and offers an extraordinary sensation of depth and three-dimensionality.
The viewer is immediately struck by the Medici vase full of flowers that stands out in the center of the painting embraced by a Putto.
The gaze then moves down to capture the image of another floral composition placed on a pink cloth under a gushing fountain. On the opposite side a balustrade with other flowers defines the garden.
The Author of the canvas, thanks to a great pictorial ability, is able to give a perfect sharpness to the context in the foreground, and to create a soft but very real effect at the entire opening of the background.
The large size of the canvas increases the optical illusion of the distance between the garden and the horizon.
The pictorial characteristics of the work undoubtedly lead us to the exuberant but graceful style of the Turin-born Michele Antonio Rapous, who in his long career embellished the most important palaces of the Piedmontese capital with his famous floral compositions.
His paintings, inspired by French masters, met with great success and his workshop specialized in the creation of large-scale Still Life, always sumptuous and of great scenic effect but with a constantly evolving compositional variation.
In fact, the countless works by him never depict the same subject and even our canvas offers an unusual scene that is particularly pleasant and of great decorative value.

The state of conservation is excellent.
The painting has been perfectly relined and the original 18th century frame has been restored in our workshop.