Cristoforo Munari (Reggio Emilia 1667-1720 Pisa)

Munari contrasts the succulent orange of the melon with the brittle sheen of the Chinese porcelain pieces. He intensifies the illusionistic effect with the reflections of the various components on the bright silver tray. In 1706 the abbot Orazio Marrini described Munari's talents, writing 'he delighted moreover in representing with lively colouring pieces of fir wood in such a way as to make one think that attached to them with pins were prints and drawings, little portraits, scissors and other suchlike implements with such lifelikeness as to astound one'. This painting typifies Munari's extraordinary facility with such trompe l'oeil effects.