De Primi Fine Art SA gallery is delighted to announce an exhibition dedicated to the work of the celebrated Italian old master Gaspar Lopez, known as ‘Il Gasparro’ (circa 1650 – 1740). The exhibition opens on 17 November 2010 at the gallery in Piazza Cioccaro 2, Lugano.
The exhibition continues the gallery’s ambitious program aimed at promoting the dialogue between artists and artworks which, whilst coming from different periods and styles, are united by their unquestionable quality .
Gaspar Lopez was a major figure in Italian still life painting, working in both Naples and Florence and this is the first ever retrospective show of his work, making it a fascinating and delightful occasion for lovers of this style of painting.
The works on show- still lifes with flowers- offer us the chance to appreciate the quality of this artist’s work and to comprehend the enormous influence he had on the whole array of painters who followed after him (with results which never quite reached the same heights!) in this art of painting the much-loved subject of floral still lifes.
The works range from his early period to his fully mature period, where we can see his skilful elaboration of the Rococo influence.
Ruins, columns, vases and plates, often with Putti, are covered and used to create floral settings typical of a culture where a frivolous and light-hearted aesthetic was absolutely predominant. The attention to detail in describing the various kinds of flowers became an exercise in painterly skill, a test where Il Gasparo was quite happy to challenge the masters of the previous century.
The catalogue is curated by Professor Alberto Cottino, renowned expert in the field of the Italian Still Life. As well as the works on show, the catalogue contains other images from major museums and private collections, which give us the possibility to compare works and deepen our understanding of an old master who has until now been somewhat neglected by critics.