Raffaele Manzo (XX) - Natura Morta

Still Life
Technique: Oil on canvas
Frame size: 88 x 68 cm
FRAME DIMENSIONS: 70×50 cm
Era: 1986
SIGNATURE: Yes (Raffaele Manzo)
Provenance: Italy (Private Collection)
Conditions: Excellent

This is a professional analysis of the oil-on-canvas painting by Raffaele Manzo from 1986, a work that strongly aligns with a strand of contemporary realism rooted in Caravaggesque tradition.

Technical and Stylistic Analysis

Subject and composition: The work is a 'still life' arranged on a classic horizontal composition. The objects are set on a neutral support surface, organized according to a deliberate balance that guides the eye from the group of vegetables on the left toward the apple and the jar on the right, culminating in the central focal point: the pan with the freshly opened egg.

Light and Chiaroscuro: The most distinctive element is the theatrical use of light. A directional light source (coming from the left) strikes the objects, creating sharp contrasts and deep shadows. This technique enhances three-dimensionality and volume, lending a nearly sacred solemnity to elements of daily life.

* Color Palette: The painter uses a range of warm and earthy tones (ochre, browns, sienna) punctuated by the vibrant red of the apple and the whiteness of garlic and eggshells. This chromatic choice creates an intimate, nostalgic, and rural atmosphere.

Description of the Elements

* The Focus (The Egg): At the center of the scene, a raw egg has just been cracked into a dark metal pan. The shine of the yolk and the transparency of the egg white are rendered with extreme technical precision, symbolizing life, fragility, and transformation. The shells in the foreground add a touch of raw realism.

* The Natural Elements: On the left we find a head of garlic and some onions, painted with a maniacal attention to material textures (the dry, papery skin). On the right, a glossy red apple counterbalances the composition.

Inanimate Objects: In the background, an old oil lantern or an antique metal stove dominates, and together with a glass jar containing oil or liqueur, it suggests a domestic setting from bygone times—humble yet dignified.

Artistic Evaluation

The work of Raffaele Manzo reveals an extraordinary mastery of the pictorial medium. It does not limit itself to mere reproduction of reality (hyperrealism), but seeks to capture the quiet essence of objects. The precision of the detail—from the reflections on the glass to the roughness of the paper on which the vegetables rest—elevates the banal to an object of aesthetic contemplation.

Curiosity: The signature 'R. Manzo 86' in the bottom right corner confirms dating to the mid-1980s, a period when the return to figuration and academic technique experienced a significant rediscovery in Italy.

In good overall condition considering the age of the painting, there are no notable defects and no conservation-related issues.

The artwork does not require restoration; the painting is in perfect condition.
The opera is part of a private collection.

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