A Still life of Lemons and Pomegranates in a Basket with a Blue Tit and a Dragonfly, together with Grapes, Figs and Plums in a gilt Tazza and a Mouse eating Chestnuts, all on a Ledge - Rafael Valls

1617

Medium

Oil on Panel

Status

Open to Offers

Collect24 Art ID

C24-150324

This charming still life is enlivened by a blue tit and a dragonfly resting within a large wicker basket filled with lemons and pomegranates set upon a stone ledge against a dark background. Beneath a splendid gilt tazza filled with grapes, plums and figs, a small mouse is depicted eating chestnuts. This well-preserved panel is a perfect example of Binoit’s charming style, bearing the influence of both German and Flemish models. For instance, the mouse found in the present work finds parallels in the works of several Flemish painters, such as Jan Brueghel the Elder, as well as those by German contemporaries such as Georg Flegel. Binoit often repeated motifs in different combinations in several of his works. For example, the ornate gilt tazza also recurs in Still life of a lemon, grapes, an apple and other fruits, while the large wicker basket appears in another work, signed and dated 1624 (sold Artcurial, 27 March 2019, lot 301). Many of Binoit’s most popular compositions were also repeated by members of his studio and wider circle. A comparable version of our picture by Francesco Codino (also known as Franz Godin) hangs in the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo. Although very few works by Binoit are either signed or dated, the similarities in style and handling between this and other detailed works by the artist, suggest a date of execution of about 1617.