9 - ANIELLO ASCIONE (Naples, documented 1680 – 1708).

ANIELLO ASCIONE (Naples, documented 1680 – 1708). “Still Life in a Landscape with Peaches, Plums, and an Artichoke.” Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 36.5 x 99 cm; 45.5 x 108 cm (frame). This captivating still life by Aniello Ascione is a magnificent example of his personal interpretation of the Neapolitan Baroque still life, characterized by the exuberance of the fruit, rich colors, and warm, theatrical lighting. The distinctly landscape format allows for a composition of great visual breadth, in which peaches, plums, and artichokes are arranged on rocky ground, standing out against a landscape of half-light and a twilight atmosphere. The arrangement of the fruits at different levels of depth—some directly on the ground and others on a natural rocky ledge—gives the composition a remarkable sense of volume. Ascione pays special attention to the different qualities of the surfaces: the velvety skin of the peaches, the purplish and bluish hues of the plums, and the rough texture of the artichokes. The light falls selectively on the fruits in the foreground, creating a stark contrast with the dark background and enhancing their physical presence and sensory appeal. The composition shares the main features of other still lifes by the artist preserved in museum collections. Notable among these is *Still Life with Fruit, Flowers, and a Basket of Figs*, held by the Correale Museum in Sorrento, as well as the monumental *Still Life with Fruit, Flowers, a Carved Vase, a Fountain, and Architectural Elements*, housed in the Capodimonte National Museum and Galleries, in Naples (inv. Q 294). Also of particular interest is a comparison with the large compositions of fruits and flowers at the Museo Civico del Castello Ursino in Catania. These works highlight the continuity of his pictorial language, based on the integration of fruit into natural and architectural settings, the richness of warm tones, and the dramatic use of light. This painting stands out precisely for the concentration of these elements in a panoramic composition that is ornamental in character and thoroughly Baroque. A Neapolitan Baroque painter specializing in still lifes, he was a disciple of Giovanni Battista Ruoppolo, one of the great masters of 17th-century still life, and was also influenced by Abraham Brueghel. He achieved notable success among the Neapolitan aristocracy, for whose palaces he created compositions of fruits and flowers, as well as large decorative paintings. His works are preserved in major public collections, including the Correale Museum in Sorrento, the Capodimonte National Museum and Galleries in Naples, and the Civic Museum of Castello Ursino in Catania.