Francesco Mantovano

In the collection of the family of the present owners for over fifty years.

The colours of the originals are a touch less yellow than they appear in the catalogue illustration. Both canvases have old relinings. Both paint surfaces have suffered some minor scattered losses as visible in the catalogue illustration but are otherwise are well preserved, with remaining impasto evident in the details of the individual flowers, under dirty uneven varnishes. There is an old restored damage of approx 3 cm squared in former to the left of the right hand vase. Thorough inspection under UV light is impeded by the aforementioned varnishes but retouching work is evident in both canvases in the darks of the background and around the individual flowers which are largely untouched. Offered in matching plain gilt wood and painted frames in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to Dott. Alberto Crispo and Dott. Alberto Cottino for independently identifying this pair of still lifes as the work of Francesco Mantovano, an artist active in the middle of the 17th century in Venice, Mantua and Rome. Both Dott. Crispo and Dott. Cottino point out that several of the motifs in the left pendant recur in other works by the artist; for example, the arrangement of the two parrot tulips drooping over the right hand lip of the sculpted urn, as well as the flowers immediately above, is` reproduced in exactly the same way in his upright Flower still life in a sculpted blue vase (for which see U. & G. Bocchi, Pittore di Natura Morta a Roma. Artisiti Italiani, Mantua 2005, p. 214, reproduced p. 216, fig. FM.11). The compositional similarity of these works to a group by the Stanchi brothers would suggest that Mantovano spent some time in the presence, or even the studio, of the Stanchi in Rome, something that had previosuly been only hypothesised but which, in light of the emergence of these still lifes, now seems fairly certain; with a large vase set on a ledge to one side, a smaller still life below it on the ground, and a marine landscape in the background, both works correspond to the Stanchi's canvases (of very similar dimensions) in a private collection and an unknown location (Ibid., pp. 284-5, nos. FS.48 and FS.50, both reproduced).