Felice Boselli (1650 – 1732) - Natura morta con due donne

Felice Boselli (Piacenza, 1650 – Parma, 1732)
Still life with two women
Oil on canvas, 98. 5 x 164 cm – With frame 108 x 175. 5
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The refined composition depicting a floral still life with two women can be attributed due to its stylistic and formal characteristics to the Emilian painter Felice Boselli (Piacenza, 1650 – Parma, 1732) . Trained in the workshop of Michelangelo Nuvolone, in a fervent and stimulating environment, Boselli was active above all in his hometown, Piacenza, and in Parma, where in 1680-87 he executed tempera paintings and frescoes for the palace of the Sanvitale counts of Fontanellato, of whom he was court painter until after 1710. A multifaceted artist, Boselli attempted not only still lifes but also portraits and frescoes of a religious nature (made in 1702 for the church of Santa Brigida in Piacenza and well exemplified by the Ecce Homo in the background sacred) and in mythological scenes.
In the genre of still painting his main references were the study and observation of regional and local works, drawing inspiration from the genre scenes of Annibale Carracci and the works of Parmigianino, especially with regards to the figurations. However, there was no shortage of other references, starting from Angelo Crivelli (known as Crivellone) , an animalist specializing in game known in his training period, the painters of the Bergamo school in particular (Baschenis and Bartolomeo Bettera) , up to Nordic ancestry and examples Neapolitans. A total of almost a hundred still lifes by Boselli are known, most of which are preserved in museums in Lombardy and Emilia, as well as a good number of paintings representing episodes of daily life with cooks, pigs, ox heads, chickens, game, fish , often "signed" with the depiction of a kitten (signifying Felix) .
In the still life analyzed here, two women hold up a basket and a colorful garland of flowers which also decorate the statue of a satyr placed on an elegant balustrade. One of the women leans over the parapet, delicately stretching out her hand in the gesture of picking a white carnation, while the other holds up the basket, observing the spectator with complicity. Both appear richly dressed and embellished with sets of pearls and large hats, also decorated with lively flower arrangements. The detailed and meticulous description of the different floral species illuminated by vivid strokes of light is striking.
For comparison, see two works by Boselli of the same subject and similar composition: the Flower Girl, dated to the first decade of the 18th century and the Girl with Game (1720-1730) located in a private collection in Vaprio D'Adda.
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The frame is provided free of charge, therefore it cannot be a reason for return or complaint.
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