Two grey terracotta vases with carnations, columbines and peonies

This strikingly minimalist still life, with grey terracotta vases of flowers on a ledge, was at one time accompanied by a contrasting pendant, depicting two red terracotta vases filled with lilies, carnations, iris, verbena and other flowers (sold Christie's, London, 6 July 2006, lot 30). At the time of its sale in 2006, the present painting was published with an entry by John T. Spike, who considered it to be an exceptionally rare example of still-life painting by the Florentine painter, Jacopo Ligozzi, dating from as early as 1600 (loc. cit.). In addition to the pendant pair depicting flowers in terracotta vases, Spike gave two other still-life paintings to the artist, a pair, each representing individual vases of flowers (J.T. Spike, The Sense of Pleasure, Milan, 2002, nos. 5-6). The attribution of this still-life group to Jacopo Ligozzi has more recently been rejected, however, and it has been suggested the present canvas might be the work of a painter active in Spain.