Giovanni Paolo Castelli, called Spadino (1659-1730)., Giovanni Paolo Castelli, called Spadino (1659-1730). Still life with fruits, flowers and rabbit.

Oil on canvas, 48 × 108cm

The rectangular composition combines a fruit still life with a flower still life, between the two there is an apple as a strong color accent and the composition is framed by rabbits on the sides. The fruit still life consists of apples and blue and green grapes. More fruit lies in the dark on the left. The brown rabbit crouches in the shadow on the left front. The color of the fur matches the tones of the fruit. The floral still life consists of red, white and pink roses as well as blue morning glory in a glass cup. The white rabbit's fur color matches the bright flowers and the light reflections of the glass. The still lifes are placed at the edge of a pond and the apple in the middle is reflected in the blue water. The painting is characterized by sophisticated colors and composition. The extreme landscape format indicates its use as a supraporte.
A brown and white rabbit also appear in a fruit still life by Giovanni Paolo Castelli in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and Paul in Rajhrad in Moravia, with the brown rabbit being almost identical (Zdeněk Kazlepka, In the Garden of Armida, Italian Baroque Still Life in Bohemia and Moravia, 2007, cat. no. 44, illustration p. 72.). Oil on canvas, 48 × 108cm