Still life with flowers, signed ZGV

Sent by Anonymous the 02/22/11

At this time we examined oil on canvas without relining and with the original stretcher, measuring 46.5 x 37 cm. that comes from a private collection in Madrid.

It is a colorful vase of flowers resting on a stone plinth, signed, dated and dedicated "ZGV. A la  S.D. Dolores Sandoval 180...”.

Bertha Núñez, an expert in the work of Zacarías González Velázquez (Madrid, 1763 - Madrid, 1834) author of the monograph of the painter, says that the handwriting of the signature is correct to that used by the artist, and also remarks the importance of this vase to be the only one made by Zacarías.

It is known, and also documented, that the artist worked on the still life genre, as did his father and teacher Antonio González Velázquez (Madrid, 1723 - 1793). In particular there are some vases, coincidentally with the same measures, in two of the inventories of their assets.

Zacarías is the most notable artist in this family of painters and one of the most important neoclassical painters in Spain. Indeed, in this vase, highlights the intense and harmonious colors of pastel flowers, tinged with whitish shadows and accents that give it shape and volume to the set. These good gifts as a colorist, a regular feature in Zacarías, was seen in all their production: their amazing portraits, religious paintings, allegories, and so on.

Although not in isolation, Zacarías produces a refined and spectacular set of flowers for the Casa del Labrador de Aranjuez, in the "Retrete de Fernando VII". It's "Allegories of Sovereignty: The Surveillance, The Wind, The Force and The Rest" where we see his great ability as still lifes.

In this work we would notice some technical weakness and distortion of the flowers that we see in his portraits, a genre where he excelled and which shows spontaneous, more accurate and precise drawing. As for pricing, having no references to other still lifes made by Zacarías, we can not specify the valuation.