Who painted Still Life with a Melon?

Still Life with a Melon was painted by Francesco Maltese in 1650.

Where can I see Still Life with a Melon?

Still Life with a Melon is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Still Life with a Melon?

Still Life with a Melon is associated with High Baroque Italian.

Can I buy a print of Still Life with a Melon?

Museum-quality prints of Still Life with a Melon are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Still Life with a Melon

Francesco Maltese , 1650

Still Life with a Melon is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Francesco Maltese. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1650, Still Life with a Melon is an oil painting by Francesco Maltese, an Italian artist active in Rome during the high Baroque period. The work presents a carefully composed arrangement of fruit, a melon as the focal point, and accompanying objects that together generate a modest sense of depth.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a ripe melon placed on a table, surrounded by assorted fruits and a modest bouquet of flowers. The selection of everyday items reflects the still‑life genre’s interest in the transient beauty of material objects, inviting quiet reflection on abundance and the passage of time.

Technique & Style

Maltese employs a restrained palette of browns and muted greens, applying oil paint with fine brushwork that emphasizes texture and surface detail. Subtle chiaroscuro models the forms, producing gentle contrasts of light and shadow that give the objects a three‑dimensional presence while maintaining a calm atmosphere.

History & Provenance

Born in Valletta around 1611, Maltese spent his professional life in Rome, where he specialized in meticulous still‑life arrangements. Still Life with a Melon entered the State Hermitage Museum’s collection, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of Baroque Italian paintings.

Still Life with Fruit, Michiel (II) Simons

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Artist & collection

Artist

Francesco Maltese

Francesco Noletti, also known as Francesco Fieravino (1611, Valletta? – 4 December 1654, Rome) was an Italian still-life painter. He was often referred to by his nickname, Il Maltese.