Pair of still lives of flowers

Lot description

Critics consider Alexandre - Francois Desportes as the initiator of animalier painting in France. After initial training in Paris with the Flemish painter Nicasius Barnaerts he goes to Warsaw; after two years, however, he returns to France, dedicating himself to painting and scenography, decoration, and tapestry. We remember him for his studies and his collaboration with the Gobelins factory most prestigious in Europe. In painting, he successfully combines Flemish training and contemporary taste, and it is also evident from the rich gilded frames, which give movement to the entire pictorial composition. This pair of still lives is entirely dedicated to the virtuosic narration of flowers and fruits, except for the tiny caterpillar living in one of the two paintings. The flowers are affected by the meticulous and precise taste of Flemish painting, while the choice of setting both scenes on a dark gray background allows the artist to bring out the bright and brilliant colors typical of the gifts of nature, without making them end up in a violent contrast of light and shadows.