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Aniello Ascione (''fl'' 1680 –1708) was an Italian painter of still lifes. He is regarded as an important representative of the Flemish style of Baroque still life painting and a follower of the Flemish painter
at Ars Antiqua Milan
Napoli 1742-44, I, p. 638 He is documented in Naples from 1680 to 1708.Aniello Ascione, ''Still life of fruit on an entablature in a landscape''
at Canesso
at napoli.com He initially painted in the style of his master Ruoppolo, which was characterised by its flashy Baroque effects. In his mature period he was influenced by the work of the Flemish painter Abraham Brueghel. Abraham Brueghel is especially known for his still life paintings of southern fruits and flowers, which were typically assembled in front of a landscape. They are frequently enhanced by a precious vase, an antique monument or fragments of Roman sculpture. Brueghel's style was characterised by its chiaroscuro, muted colors, and strong plastic forms as well as an ability to render textures realistically and create illusionistic effects confidently. Ascione's mature works are made up of decorative still lifes of fruits and flowers placed in a landscape in semi-darkness. Some of his works reach a very high level, through their warm chromatic intonation and successful decorative effect. The identification of his oeuvre is based on the two large canvases kept at theNicola Vaccaro, ''Flower cartouche with the Adoration of the Magi''
at Imkinsky auction of 12 April 2016, lot 5
File:Aniello Ascione - Still life with Apples, Watermelon, Grapes, Figs, Peaches, Plums, Melon, Pomegranates and Parrot.jpg, ''Still life with Apples, Watermelon, Grapes, Figs, Peaches, Plums, Melon, Pomegranates and Parrot''
File:Aniello Ascione - Still life of fruit on an entablature in a landscape.jpg, ''Still life of fruit on an entablature in a landscape''
File:Aniello Ascione - Still life with flowers, fruits and a fountain.jpg, ''Still life with flowers, fruits and a fountain''
Aniello Ascione (''fl'' 1680 –1708) was an Italian painter of still lifes. He is regarded as an important representative of the Flemish style of Baroque still life painting and a follower of the Flemish painter Abraham Brueghel
Abraham Brueghel (baptised 28 November 1631 – c. 1690) was a Flemish painter from the famous Brueghel family of artists. He emigrated at a young age to Italy where he played an important role in the development of the style of decorative Baroq ...
who worked in Naples in the final quarter of the 17th century.Aniello Ascione, ''Natura morta di fiori, frutti, funghi con pappagallo''at Ars Antiqua Milan
Life
Little is known about the early life of Ascione. He was a pupil of Neapolitan still life painterGiovan Battista Ruoppolo
Giovan Battista Ruoppolo (1629–1693) was a Neapolitan painter of still-lifes.
Life
He was a pupil of Paolo Porpora (1617–1673), a contemporary of Salvatore Rosa. Additional Porpora pupils who formed a school of still-life painters in Napl ...
. Ascione was among the protagonists of the Baroque still life in Naples. He imitated the most striking examples of Flemish Baroque still lifes. He was also among the late 17th century Neapolitan painters who were influenced by Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Ear ...
. The Italian art historian and painter Bernardo de' Dominici stated that Aniello Ascione was very successful and that his works were in the collections of the lords and private individuals. His works were highly regarded in his time.B. de’ Dominici, ''Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Napoletani non mai date alla luce da autore alcuno,dedicate agli eccellentissimi Eletti della fedelissima citta di Napoli''Napoli 1742-44, I, p. 638 He is documented in Naples from 1680 to 1708.Aniello Ascione, ''Still life of fruit on an entablature in a landscape''
at Canesso
Work
Aniello Ascione was a specialist still life painter. He painted still lifes of fruits and flowers, but mostly fruits, in particular of grapes. He signed his paintings with the monogram AA in ligature. His painted small and large-scale canvases.Achille della Ragione, ''Aniello Ascione un brillante pittore barocco''at napoli.com He initially painted in the style of his master Ruoppolo, which was characterised by its flashy Baroque effects. In his mature period he was influenced by the work of the Flemish painter Abraham Brueghel. Abraham Brueghel is especially known for his still life paintings of southern fruits and flowers, which were typically assembled in front of a landscape. They are frequently enhanced by a precious vase, an antique monument or fragments of Roman sculpture. Brueghel's style was characterised by its chiaroscuro, muted colors, and strong plastic forms as well as an ability to render textures realistically and create illusionistic effects confidently. Ascione's mature works are made up of decorative still lifes of fruits and flowers placed in a landscape in semi-darkness. Some of his works reach a very high level, through their warm chromatic intonation and successful decorative effect. The identification of his oeuvre is based on the two large canvases kept at the
Castello Ursino
Castello Ursino ( scn, Casteddu Ursinu, lit=Bear Castle), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known fo ...
in Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
, the ''Still life with fruit, flowers, sculpted vase, fountain and architecture'' in the 
Museo di Capodimonte
Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with several important works from other Italia ...
, Naples and a series of the ''Four Seasons'' in the Museum Correale
Museum Correale (Italian: ''Museo Correale di Terranova'') is a museum in Sorrento in the south of Italy.
The museum is situated in a patrician villa, surrounded by a citrus grove, with a terrace of Belvedere that overlooks the Gulf of Naples. Th ...
in Sorrento. A rarity in his oeuvre is the ''Kitchen with a skinned lamb'' in the Castellino collection in Naples. It demonstrates that the theme of the kitchen scene also appealed to him.
He was also able to integrate still lifes with figures in compositions created in collaboration with specialist figure painters. An example is the ''Flower cartouche with the Adoration of the Magi'' made in collaboration with 
Nicola Vaccaro
Nicola Vaccaro (Naples, 13 March 1640 – Naples, 25 May 1709) was an Italian painter, theatre director and opera librettist in Naples. He was known for his religious and allegorical paintings who created easel paintings as frescos. He was a spe ...
who painted the cartouche.at Imkinsky auction of 12 April 2016, lot 5
Gallery
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ascione, Aniello Italian Baroque painters Italian still life painters 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 18th-century Italian painters Painters from Naples 18th-century Italian male artists