Agostino Verrocchio

With Paolo Sapori, Spoleto.

Turin, Fondazione Accorsi, L'incantesimo dei sensi: una collezione di nature morte del Seicento per il Museo Accorsi, 30 November 2005 - 1 May 2006, no. 9.

L. Salerno, La Natura Morta italiana, 1560-1805, Rome 1984, p. 103, reproduced, fig. 25.3;
A. Cottino, F. Zeri (ed.), in La natura morta in Italia, Milan 1989, vol. II, p726, reproduced, fig. 863;
A. Cottino, L'Incantesimo dei sensi: Una collezione di nature morte del Seicento per il Museo Accorsi, Turin 2005, p. 58-59, 104, cat. no. 9, reproduced p. 59.  

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work has been restored. One could certainly hang the work in its current condition. The dark background in this picture has become quite abraded and has received some retouches. These are clearly visible under ultraviolet light in the dark color around and above the still life and on the sides of the picture, particularly the left side. The dark side of the table has also developed thinness that has been quite broadly restored. There are more concentrated restorations in the leaves and apple in the lower center and lower right. Overall, the brighter colors of the still life are well preserved, and it is the darker colors of the background that had become more vulnerable over time.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Little is known of the life of Verrocchio, who was probably working in Rome and Naples during the second quarter of the 17th century. Mina Gregori and Raffaelo Causa were the first to organize a group of paintings around this talented, albeit mysterious specialist. His working style places him squarely within the first generation of still life artists who were directly impacted by Caravaggio's groundbreaking, naturalistic approach to the independent still life genre. Indeed, his commitment to detail, and honest, observational approach to painting demonstrates his absorption of the Caravaggesque influence in his own work. One typical feature in his work, as can be seen here as well as in lot 52 in this sale, is the inclusion of a large amount of fruit and flowers, all seemingly packed to the edges of the picture plane.  In certain signed works, Verrocchio used the Latin form of his name, Augustinus Verrochius, suggesting he may have been born outside of Italy.