School or influence of Orsola Maddalena Caccia
Piedmont region, Italy; mid-17th century
Oil on canvas; giltwood frames

Approximate size: 22.75 (h) x 29 (w) x 2 (d) in. each

This pair of still-life paintings, each depicting a colorful ensemble of flowers against a black ground, are offered here in their original giltwood frames. The color palette and subject relate to the Piedmont school of floral still-life paintings promulgated by Orsola Maddalena Caccia and her atelier.

Orsola trained under her father, Guglielmo Cacci, and although active as a nun, established a productive workshop and studio that operated out of the Ursuline convent in Moncalvo. In addition to following the traditions of sacral art typical of the period, Orsola’s apparent passion for nature pioneered a genre of still-life paintings portraying depictions of fruits, vases and flowers. Her workshop employed a minority of the nuns living in the convent, including her sister, Francesca, of whose work nothing to-date is known.

The present pair of paintings are probably not by her hand, lacking the finer finesse and detail of her original works and the frequent vertical format of her compositions. Nonetheless, the warmth and charm, subtlety of tone, employ of a dark ground and the subject show a possible mindfulness of her works. There remains also a certain awareness of the Flemish and Dutch modalities of the era.

Condition commensurate with age with old restorations, canvas relining, updated stretchers and some painting retouches. The frames have various nicks and chips with some losses to the original gilding. The overall age of these works contributes to their weathered ambience.

Please note, this item ships from our storage facility in Italy. Please allow 4-to-6 weeks for delivery (time required for us to secure the appropriate export license from the Italian Ministry of Culture).