Lot 1555 D α

Antonio Amorosi was an Italian painter of the late Baroque active in Ascoli Piceno, where he was trained by Giuseppe Ghezzi. The artist specialized in genre scenes similar to those of the Bamboccianti, and found one of his main patrons in the Spanish Ambassador in Rome, the Duke de Uceda, whose esteem for the genre may have influenced the painter.
Rather than pursuing the intent of diversion, Amorosi developed a realistic style based on a moral approach. Later he also became increasingly interested in painting children's portraits, often depicting the poorest of the poor with inherant dignity, following the example of the Spanish artist Murillo.

The present pair of works, of exceptional size compared to the artist's other works, can be compared with two canvases now at Chatsworth (the collection of the Duke of Devonshire) and may be later works from a time in the artist's career when he adopted a more realistic approach. The paintings which are traditionally dated to the last two decades of the artist´s life form a homogenous group: The sitters are set in realistic open landscapes, the rendering of distance improves and the artist shows an increased interest in the representation of still lifes.

The still life in the female portrait is of very high quality, and has been ascribed to Giovanni Paolo Castelli (1659-1730), an eminent still life painter active in Rome. The cooperation might indicate the special importance of the commission of this beautiful portrait.