Still life with cake stand, lemons, rose and vase of flowers

Still life with cake stand, lemons, rose and vase of flowers is in all probability attributable to Giacomo Nani, or Francesco de Caro – also active at the Royal Factory of Porcelain of Capodimonte.

The work is found decorating the Dressing Room of the Royal Casino (Royal Palace) of Carditello starting from 1817. It depicts in the foreground, a faded rose that divides the composition: on the left there are lemons and a cone of peanuts, while on the right stands a cup on which a delicate bird rests.

The canvas offers an interesting glimpse of everyday life in the eighteenth century. It comes naturally to think of an early eighteenth-century afternoon – at teatime, on the terrace of your home – dedicated to enjoying a hot drink flavored with sugar and fresh lemon just picked from the tree, perhaps accompanied by delicate, fragrant pastries.