
Natura morta
1948
This intimate still life gathers a carefully chosen assembly of vessels and fruit on a shallow tabletop, rendered in oil on board with an almost meditative restraint. Three straw-wrapped bottles rise from the background, their green glass necks catching soft light against a muted olive ground, while a slender dark bottle stands among them like a silent counterpoint. Arranged across the foreground are a red earthenware pitcher, a small white ceramic pot, a deep burgundy two-handled cup, and a cobalt blue jug, each object given its own weight and presence through Calderara's methodical yet tender brushwork. Two yellow-green apples and a small orange fruit punctuate the composition with warmth, their rounded forms echoing the curves of the surrounding ceramics. The palette is earthy and considered, built from ochres, umbers, and muted greens, offset by the more saturated accents of red, cobalt, and citrus yellow. Painted in 1948, this work belongs to an early and formative period in Antonio Calderara's career, before his decisive turn toward geometric abstraction in the 1950s. At this stage the Milanese painter was still working within a figurative tradition, though already demonstrating the quietude and compositional economy that would define his mature practice. The influence of Morandi is discernible in the grouping of humble domestic objects and the sense that each vessel occupies its space with philosophical intention, yet Calderara's touch carries its own lyrical quality, particularly in the loose, spiraling highlights on the bottle necks that enliven an otherwise still scene. The small format, measuring just under eleven by seventeen centimeters, intensifies the sense of concentrated attention that the work demands. Works by Calderara from this figurative period are comparatively rare and occupy a singular place in his broader oeuvre, offering collectors an opportunity to trace the origins of one of Italy's most quietly influential abstract painters. The oil on board support lends the surface a fine, close-grained texture that holds the paint with particular richness, and the modest scale makes the painting suitable for intimate domestic display while retaining genuine scholarly and historical significance. As interest in mid-century Italian art continues to grow internationally, early works such as this one serve as essential points of reference for understanding the transition from postwar realism toward the contemplative abstraction for which Calderara is now celebrated.
- Medium
- Oil on board
🔨 Auction Lot
Martini Studio d'Arte: Modern And Contemporary Art
June 10, 2026
Estimate: €5,000 to €7,000
Lot 123
More by Antonio Calderara

Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion