Squash, peaches, plums and grapes on a stone; and Grapes, peaches and apricots on the ground

This pair of still lifes likely dates to circa 1665-7, as the two works share the same palette and robust handling of paint as Squash, peaches, apples, grapes and plums on a stone ledge (lot 92 in Part I of this sale). This places the works in the artist's mature period, by which time he enjoyed wide acclaim. Exhibited in Rome, his paintings were prized by wealthy Romans as decoration, which probably inspired the artist to produce works on various scales in order to accomodate his patrons' requirements. These types of still lifes also began to appear on the English market in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries.

See lot 92 for additional information on Michele Pace, called Michelangelo del Campidoglio.