MICHELE ANTONIO RAPOUS

(Turin, 1733 - 1819) Still life Oil on canvas, 78.5X104.5 cm. Provenance: Turin, private collection Michele Antonio Rapous was one of the most exalted naturamortists of 18th-century Piedmont, influenced by coeval French painting and the author of refined floral compositions. The canvases under consideration are an interesting example of his art and maturity, destined to decorate the main palaces of the subalpine capital with taste and gracefulness. In the canvases it is, moreover, worth highlighting the beautifully preserved condition of the drafting, rich in color and pictorial depth. We thank Arabella Cifani for the attribution. Reference bibliography: L. Salerno, La natura morta italiana (1560-1805), Rome 1984, p. 326 A. Griseri, Still Life in Piedmont, in La natura morta in Italia, edited by F. Porzio, Milan 1989, pp. 149-195 A. Cottino, The Seduction of Nature. Natura morta in Piemonte nel '600 e nel 700, Turin 2000, ad vocem