A rare and very fine mid 19th century Roman micromosaic oval floral still life panel

Vatican Workshop, probably attributed to Federico Campanili, circa 1860

Footnotes

Provenance
Private collection

The depiction of flower compositions in large scale micromosaics is much more unusual in comparison to the more frequently seen subjects of ancient ruins, animals and peasants. However these complex and rich and colourful floral subjects, either depicting elaborate arrangements of various specimens in urns or vases or the more formalised floral wreaths are more often very finely executed but rarely signed.

The author and scholar in micromosaics, Alvar González-Palacios suggests the mosaicist Federico Campanili regularly specialised in flower subjects at the Vatican workshops. One of the principal artists from circa 1885-95, he is known to have executed a garland of flowers around a view of the Temple of Vesta by Cesare Roccheggiani and Palacios suggests Campanili's subjects were taken from the Dutch still-life master Daniel Seghers (1590-1661). Segers is known to have painted the flower studies for the works of Peter Paul Rubens and his own floral still-lifes can be found in the major museums and galleries of Europe.

A comparable floral still-life micromosaic panel dated to 1870, depicting a red-ware pedestal urn in the antique Greek taste is illustrated by Jeanette Hanisse Gabriel as fig. 94., p.162 in The Gilbert Collection Catalogue of Micromosaics, 2000, Phillip Wilson and three further still-life panels depicting Baroque style floral arrangements, one with a basket with a goldfish to the foreground, one with a blue lapis style vase and one of an elaborate grotesque vase which is one of a pair, are illustrated as figs. 89 and 91, on ps. 156 and 159.

During the 17th and 18th century the Vatican Mosaic Workshop for St. Peters and other churches were restricted to only creating portraits of papal leaders and Christian themes copied from existing paintings and cartoons by master painters. Early works were usually produced in the slightly larger classical mosaic format utilising square tesserae but by the end of the 18th century the tesserae became longer, thinner and much finer. With the increase in travellers to Rome, it became apparent that there was a ready market for 'Grand Tour type souvenirs and the workshop also moved over to producing pieces depicting secular subjects to appeal to a new and very profitable emerging market. The demand for these pieces grew steadily with the emerging middle classes in the more politically and economically stable climate of Europe after the upheavals earlier in the 19th century, reaching its zenith between 1840 and 1890.

Literature
Gonzalez-Palacios, Alvar, The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection, 1977 Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
Gonzalez-Palacios, Alvar and Steffi Röttgen with essays by Steffi Röttgen, Claudia Przyborowski; essays and new catalogue material translated by Alla Theodora Hall. The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection, 1982 Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri, Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection, 2000 London, Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection