Dina Bellotti (1912-2003) - Natura morta con girasoli

Dina Bellotti (1912 - 2003)
Still life with sunflowers, 1965
Mixed media on cardboard. Signed and dated "Dina Bellotti '65" in the upper left.
Critical and biographical note:
Refined and energetic still life dated 1965, a year that places her in a period of full artistic maturity and exhibition activity for Dina Bellotti. Known to the general public and to critics as "the painter of the Popes" for her famous official portraits in the Vatican, Bellotti reveals in this floral composition her extraordinary chromatic sensibility and the fluidity of her intimate brushwork.
The work is structured on a sharp, modern chromatic contrast: the sulfur yellow background intensifies the materiality of the cut sunflowers, orchestrated with swift, dense, and velvety brushstrokes, close to the outcomes of Italian lyrical expressionism in the postwar period. The vase, hinted at the left with dark, glassy tones, provides a perfect visual counterpoint to the vibrant orange corona of the central flower. An absolutely emblematic piece of the artist from Alexandria in her floral production, highly sought after by 20th-century collectors.
Conservation status:
Good overall condition. A small tear on the paper support located in the upper left (near the signature) is noted, along with slight and physiological signs of aging consistent with the period of the work. The defect does not compromise the overall visual stability of the composition. Work presented with the original frame.