Giorgio Rossi

Giorgio Rossi (1892-1963) Statuette and Red Vase, 1957. Signed and dated

1957

Gaspare Lopez, attrib. Still Life with Fountain, Obelisk and Cascade of Flowers in a Garden, Naples, c. 1720 Painting is not signed. Oil on canvas, 36 × 45.2 cm Giltwood frame of later date, 48 × 57.4 cm Inscription on reverse: “H. C. Veit – 1A Chesham Mews SW1 – 16 June 1957” This painting, one of a pair of Neapolitan still lifes from the early eighteenth century, displays a refined architectural setting combined with a rich cascade of flowers—features closely associated with the work of Gaspare Lopez, one of the leading Italian flower painters of the period. At the centre stands a fountain with a putto, its stream rendered in fine, silvery strokes that recall Lopez’s characteristic way of enlivening his compositions with water. To the left rises a slender obelisk, a motif that appears in several of his more elaborate garden scenes and contributes to the noble, decorative tone of the setting. The cascade of flowers is constructed with the inventive spirit typical of his floral capricci: roses, tulips, peonies, carnations and his distinctive blue bellflowers, painted with a clear, bright touch. The colours are luminous, joyful and decorative, expressing the Neapolitan vitality that marks Lopez’s mature style. Already in his lifetime he was known as “Gaspare dei fiori” for his spectacular and often deliberately exuberant floral arrangements. The background features an Italianate garden with cypresses, terraces and stone structures. This repertoire closely parallels the still lifes with garden terraces preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (inv. GG 1658, 1662, 1664), all attributed to Lopez. Despite its smaller size, the present painting shares the same horizontal layout, bright skies with soft clouds and the interplay of architecture and abundant floral masses, offering strong arguments for the attribution. Lopez trained under Andrea Belvedere, the foremost Neapolitan flower painter of the late Baroque. From him he inherited a refined botanical vocabulary, brilliant colour and a taste for scenographic compositions, which he later developed in a more decorative and international direction while active between Naples, Rome and Florence. Condition: old varnish and stable craquelure. Provenance A handwritten label on the reverse, dated 16 June 1957 and bearing the London address 1A Chesham Mews, SW1, identifies former ownership by Henri C. “Harry” Veit (1925–2012): American citizen, engineer trained at Princeton, US Navy veteran and grandson of the French Orientalist painter Maurice Bompard...

Still Life with Large Vase and Cascade of Flowers in a Garden. Naples. Attributed to Gaspare Lopez. Neapolitan school , circa 1720. Not signed. Oil on canvas, 36 × 45.2 cm Giltwood frame of later date, 48 × 57.4 cm Inscription on reverse: “H. C. Veit – 1A Chesham Mews SW1 – 16 June 1957” Not signed. This painting, part of a pair of Neapolitan still lifes from the early eighteenth century, displays several features closely associated with Gaspare Lopez, one of the most sought-after flower painters of his time. The monumental vase resting on the stone ledge, decorated with a lightly modelled human profile, reflects the Neapolitan Baroque taste for curious and theatrical ornamental details. From this vase descends a true cascade of flowers—a type of composition Lopez often arranged in bold, vertical structures, almost like floral capricci. His contemporaries aptly nicknamed him “Gaspare dei fiori”. The bouquet is abundant and varied: multiple varieties of roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, tulips, small wild blossoms and Lopez’s characteristic blue climbing bellflowers, painted with a clear and luminous touch. The chromatic range is bright, decorative and joyful, fully in line with the Neapolitan vitality of the period. The background presents an Italianate garden with cypresses, terraces and stone balustrades. This vocabulary closely echoes works preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (inv. GG 1658, 1662, 1664), all attributed to Lopez. Although larger in scale, those paintings share the same horizontal layout, similar bright skies and the same architectural elements paired with sweeping floral cascades. These parallels provide substantial support for the attribution. Lopez trained under Andrea Belvedere, the great Neapolitan late-Baroque flower painter. From him he inherited a refined botanical sensibility, luminous colour and a taste for scenographic compositions—qualities he later developed further while active between Naples, Rome and Florence. Condition: old varnish and stable craquelure. ⸻ Provenance A handwritten label on the reverse, dated 16 June 1957 and bearing the London address 1A Chesham Mews, SW1, identifies former ownership by Henri C. “Harry” Veit (1925–2012): an American citizen, Princeton-trained engineer, US Navy veteran and grandson of the French Orientalist painter Maurice Bompard...

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