Bonhams
Lot 80
Neapolitan School, 17th CenturyFlowers in a glass vase with a potted amaranthus tricolour with fruit on a stone ledge, before a landscape signed with initials 'MDC' (lower right)oil on canvas98.8 x 183.4cm (38 7/8 x 72 3/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Alvarez de Toledo family, USA, for more than 100 yearsStylistically the present lot comes close to the work of 17th century still life painters such as Giuseppe Recco, and intriguingly two works assigned by R. Causa to Marco de Caro (Galleria Nazionale, Rome, and Accademia di San Luca, Rome), which were widely believed to be by the same hand, and had previously been attributed to Giuseppe Recco. The presence of the monogram 'MDC' in the present work might suggest Marco de Caro as a possible author. In 1680 the artist is recorded as enrolling in the guild of painters in Naples, making him a rough contemporary of Andrea Belvedere. His existence as a painter rests on two still lifes signed 'Marco di Caro', formerly in the Canessa Collection, Rome (see: R. Causa, 'La Natura morta a Napoli nel Sei e Settecento', in Storia di Napoli, 1972, p. 1026, fig. 421; and Luigi Salerno, Still life painting in Italy, 1984, p. 255, fig. 69.1). The Alvarez de Toledo family played a very prominent role in the political life of Spain and her empire with a viceroy of Naples and a Governor of the Netherlands amongst their number. In 1802, Cayetana de Silva y Alvarez de Toledo died without heir and so the dukedom of Alba was inherited by a relative, Carlos Miguel Fitz-James Stuart, but other branches of the family continue to hold other historical titles.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
