Spanish school, 17th century."Still Life with Peaches" and "Still Life with Grapes and Wine".Oil

Spanish school, 17th century.
"Still Life with Peaches" and "Still Life with Grapes and Wine".
Oil paintings on panels.
They have slight repainting.
They have an antique frame following models from the Royal Collection.
The still life with grapes and wine has a restoration in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 26 x 35.5 cm; 35.5 x 45 cm (frame); 25 x 35.5 cm; 36.5 x 46 cm (frame).
Pair of works made up of two still lifes, in the case of the work starring peaches, the naturalistic arrangement of the objects, in the foreground on a neutral background, the monochromatic palette, which revolves around earthy, ochre and orange tones, and especially the lighting rich in effects and contrasts, constitute a work full of content. In the foreground is a group of peaches arranged on a ceramic plate. Next to the plate, an open walnut rests on the left side of the table. In this canvas the artist offers us a still life in the classical style, rooted in the Spanish tradition of the genre, with a clear, orderly composition and an expressive treatment of the light, which produces expressive shadows on the right side and enhances the volume of the various objects. In the present painting the artist pays great attention to the precision of the brushstroke and the atmospheric and chromatic sensibility of the artist; nothing distracts the eye, which remains attentive to the smallest detail. However, despite this apparent austerity and economy of means, there remains a taste for the theatricality and deception typical of the Baroque, precisely in the naturalism of the image, so precise and perfect that it results in a deceptive illusionism. In the case of the still life of grapes and wine, the author presents the main element in a silver or pewter tray, a still life made up exclusively of grapes, in the left area of the composition, despite the darkness of the canvas, we can appreciate the slight reflection caused by a crystal glass, which contains wine in its interior. The work has been conceived through a simple composition in the manner of a frieze. To this end, the artist has arranged all the elements in the foreground, placed on a table that is invisible to the viewer. The presence of the grapes, a vine leaf and the glass of wine speaks of a single element in the artist's mind, and its diversification into different states. However, it should be noted that the Spanish still life tradition was characterised to a large extent by the introduction of a moralising element in its still life paintings, so it is very likely that this still life maintains this relationship, and through simple elements alludes to a larger theme such as classical culture, where wine was associated with the god Bacchus, or for example the theme reflected in the picaresque novels of the Spanish Baroque, where wine is an indisputable protagonist of Spanish gastronomy, being in itself a foodstuff.
In both paintings, the special care taken with the light, the shading of the colour, the studied and defined brightness, as well as the careful arrangement of each of the pieces stand out. In addition, another of the characteristic elements of the work is the presence of the nut, which is open, indicating the presence of someone, at a moment before the artist captured the scene. This feature links this piece to the Spanish still-life tradition, as it was characterised by the introduction of elements on the scene that betray the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life as a memento mori.