Pietro Bardellino Naples; A Pair Of Paintings: Allegories Of The Elements, Oil On Canvas

Pietro Bardellino
Naples 1728 – Naples 1806
A pair of paintings: Allegories of the elements
Oil on canvas
in 49,21x36,61

In perfect condition, these overdoor decorations with allegorical themes stand out as remarkable and highly enjoyable examples of Neapolitan painting from the last two decades of the 18th century. Their re-emergence allows us to reconsider a highly complex (and delicate) phase of the figurative culture of the Bourbon period, torn between local traditions and foreign influences.
We are referring to the years of the so-called Neoclassicism and the widespread fascination with antiquity, from Naples to Rome. However, none of this seems to concern the six robust putti, engaged in striking poses and creating playful chaos among animals and flower vases. One in particular, a blond cherub with rosy cheeks, appears completely unbothered, focused instead on riding and attempting to tame a goat as though it were a rodeo!
These two ovals are among the most significant additions to the mature corpus of this prominent Neapolitan master, who, according to biographical records, worked tirelessly throughout the second half of the century and into the early years of the next. Bardellino, who bridges the 18th and 19th centuries, belongs fully to the Bourbon era and the Napoleonic period in Naples.
The function of serving as overdoor decorations in a patrician palace explains their rather low vantage point.

From the critical analysis, Prof. Stefano Causa
The painting is accompanied by:
Expertise by Prof. Stefano Causa

in 49,21x36,61

Provenience
Private collection

Defects.