A Pair of Neapolitan Fish Still Lifes, 19th Century
Dinner is served. Or rather — dinner is arranged, dramatically, in the dark, by candlelight, sometime in 19th-century Naples.
A wonderful pair of moody still lifes in the great Neapolitan tradition: the day's catch, alongside the props of a kitchen — a fat terracotta pignatta, a dented copper pot, a wicker basket of little fish staring back at you, a cabbage, a bundle of asparagus, and always, catching the last of the light, a cut lemon. It's cucina povera painted like grand opera.
We can't tell you who held the brush — they're unsigned, and the Italian trade keeps its secrets (as it always has). What we can tell you is that they're a genuine pair, they've earned every crack and every soft loss along the edges, and the atmosphere is completely intoxicating. This is the kind of painting that doesn't decorate a room so much as haunt it, beautifully!
Hang them where the mood is low and the cooking is serious — a dark kitchen, a dining room with candles, a hallway that wants a little Caravaggesque swagger. They ask for very little and give back everything.
A few honest notes: the canvas is thin and delicate with age, there's some paint loss at the edges, and the old varnish is glossy enough to throw the odd reflection. None of it dims the drama. These are decorative pieces with real presence, not gallery-fresh — and that's precisely the charm!
Two of them. More or less matched. Beautifully weathered. 19th Century. Impossible to replace once they're gone.
Che bello.
Product info
TRANSPORT & DELIVERY
All household, small fine art, and vintage items are available for in-store pickup or can be shipped domestically and internationally. Shipping expenses will be included during the checkout process for standard shipping.
All our large and delicate antique and vintage items require custom delivery, which must be organised separately from the product purchase. We will of course organise the transport for you and help you with all your questions. We ship world-wide and have lots of experience with the transport of fragile items. All of our products are professionally packed, shipped and send via one of our partners. We will make sure we will always find the best custom solution for your transport. Feel free to reach out to us anytime for a quote on the delivery of any of our items to your home address.
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GENERAL CONDITION
Please keep in mind that in many cases we sell vintage and antique pieces. None of these pieces should be considered new or in perfect condition.
All of our vintage products show the rich beauty and history of their life with the knocks and bumps of many years of use. We restore our pieces so they will be clean and in a good working condition. However we try to minimise restoration to keep every piece as original as possible.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The physical object can differ slightly in colour from the object as presented online. We have made every effort to display colours accurately, but cannot guarantee that the pictures accurately reflect the colour of those goods in real life.
Returns
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Items should be returned in their original condition and securely packaged. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer, unless otherwise agreed. Once the item has safely returned to us, we will process your refund promptly.
CONTACT
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any question you have. We are always happy to answer your questions and help to transport your antiques safely to your home.
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