Artwork
Youths picking Fruit
Youths picking Fruit is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Michelangelo Cerquozzi. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Youths picking Fruit is a 1640 oil painting by Michelangelo Cerquozzi, an Italian Baroque artist known for depicting everyday life.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows two youths gathering fruit among vines, surrounded by a scattering of peaches, pears, and figs. The scene is characterized by a sense of quiet activity, with the figures engaged in a mundane task.
Technique & Style
Cerquozzi's use of chiaroscuro creates a three-dimensional effect, with dark shadows contrasting with the light on the figures' faces and the fruit. The artist's attention to light and texture gives the grapes and leaves a glowing appearance, while the drapery of the figures' clothing suggests movement.
History & Provenance
The painting is part of the Museo del Prado's collection and reflects the influence of Flemish and Dutch artists on Cerquozzi's work, as well as his contribution to the early Baroque Italian movement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Michelangelo Cerquozzi, known as Michelangelo delle Battaglie (18 February 1602 – 6 April 1660) was an Italian Baroque painter known for his genre scenes, battle pictures, small religious and mythological works and still lifes.
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