Giuseppe Recco

The Artist

Giuseppe Recco was born into an intergenerational family workshop of still-life painters in 1634 in Naples [1]. Much of what is known about Giuseppe comes from Bernardo De Dominici’s Vite dei pittori, scultori ed architetti napoletani, which was published between 1742 and 1745 [2]. De Dominici knew Giuseppe personally, and he was known to occasionally exaggerate or distort Giuseppe’s achievements. Giuseppe’s father, Giacomo Recco (1603-1654), is considered one of the founders of still-life painting in Naples starting in the 1630s [3]. Within the Recco family workshop, it is likely that Giuseppe would have also worked with his assumed uncle, Giovan Battista Recco [4]. Claudia Salvi argues that Giuseppe’s uncle Giovan Battista likely influenced his paintings of food and dead animals, which are similar in styles to Giovan Battista’s own compositions [5]. It is in the Recco workshop, where Paolo Porpora also trained, where Giuseppe honed his painting skills and developed his painting style that has earned him much renown [6]. Giuseppe’s paintings demonstrate his mastery of a broad range of painting subjects, including flowers, marine fauna, vegetables, fruit, and kitchen items. Giuseppe Recco’s paintings varied in size and price range. Furthermore, Giuseppe’s work exemplifies Neapolitan still-life painting with his use of objects placed against a dark background or dark interior. The contrast between the sharp lighting on the objects and the dark background add to the dramatic and decadent characteristic of Neapolitan still-life paintings. 

Giuseppe’s biographer, Bernardo De Dominici, argued that Giuseppe had gained high social prestige amongst aristocrats and bourgeois members of Naples. As stated by De Dominici, Giuseppe’s still-life paintings became highly sought after, as he had powerful patrons including the Marchese de los Vélez, viceroy of Naples from 1675 to 1682, and the Marchese del Carpio, viceroy of Naples from 1683 to 1687 [7]. De Dominici also claimed that Giuseppe had also become knighted and invited to paint for Charles II in Spain in 1695. However, Giuseppe died in 1695 shortly after the challenging journey to Alicante. De Dominici made bold claims of Giuseppe’s reputation, which some scholars dispute due to the lack of documentation to confirm his claims [8].

A Cat Stealing Fish 

A Cat Stealing Fish was painted by Giuseppe Recco between 1667 and 1669. This painting displays Giuseppe’s immense talent at rendering dimly lit spaces and reflections of surfaces and textures within the space. This work is an oil painting on a canvas measuring 96.5 by 128.3 centimeters. The painting depicts a cat caught in the middle of taking an octopus tentacle away in its mouth. The cat is crouching on a crate surrounded by various fish and hammered copper wares that appear to have been pushed to the ground by the cat. The scene appears to be in a dark alleyway or interior room, with sharp lighting focusing on the cat. The lighting in the painting shows off Recco’s ability to realistically render a number of surfaces, including the iridescent scales of the fish and the metallic surfaces of the hammered copper illuminated in the dark scene. A Cat Stealing Fish demonstrates Recco’s skillful painting technique representative of Neapolitan still-life painting during the Baroque period. Furthermore, Recco painted the seaweed in the lower left corner of the painting into the shape of his initials (G R). 

The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids

The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids was a collaborative painting between Giuseppe Recco and Luca Giordano [9]. This painting displays the monumental work and massive scale that Giuseppe worked on later in his career. Furthermore, this painting is an example of the instances where Giuseppe would collaborate with history painters. Prior to creating this work, Giuseppe had collaborated on a 185 by 237 centimeter painting with Giordano depicting various fish among a figure of a fisherman [10]. In the late 1660s, Giuseppe became known for larger and more highly valued compositions [11]. This earlier work was commissioned by the Marchese di Noja in 1669, as evidenced by a payment of a total of 100 ducats for the painting [12]. Christopher Marshall argues that the high price of this monumental still life painting with large scale figures demonstrates the higher financial valuation of still life paintings in Naples. Marshall cites Mario dei Fiori, a leading still life painter in seventeenth century Rome, as a comparison for Giuseppe’s work. Documentation shows that Mario dei Fiori was paid 20 scudi for contributions to a painting directly comparable with Giuseppe’s commission by the Marchese di Noja, which Giuseppe was paid five times more for in Neapolitan ducats [13]. This comparison demonstrates the higher regard by which still life paintings were held in Naples. 

This high financial valuation of still life work can also be viewed in Giuseppe and Giordano’s The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids. This large scale oil on canvas painting measures 234.5 by 296.0 centimeters. The undated painting is signed with the monogram “l.r.” in the corner corner and initialed “R” in green paint [14]. The painting would have been created before 1684, as it was created for an exhibition of paintings held in Naples on May 25, 1684 [15]. This exhibition of contemporary paintings by Neapolitan artists was coordinated by Giordano to accompany celebrations of the 1684 Festa dei Quattro Altari. With the inclusion of fourteen large scale paintings that combined history painting and still life painting from various Neapolitan artists, the exhibition became massively successful. In fact, this painting served as a sort of advertisement for the bountiful resources of Naples and the painting skills of Giuseppe. Inventories show that this painting was probably a diplomatic gift sent by Marques del Carpio, the Neapolitan viceroy from 1683 to 1687, to the Spanish Royal Court [16]. Within ten years of the painting’s arrival in Madrid, in 1694, Giuseppe was invited to serve as a painter to the Spanish King Charles II [17]. This painting and its historical context demonstrate the positive reception and high economic valuation that Giuseppe’s works garnered both in Naples and internationally. 

Flowers in a Vase Decorated with Reliefs

Flowers in a Vase Decorated with Reliefs painted by Giuseppe Recco is part of a pair of paintings commissioned by John Cecil, the fifth Earl of Exeter (1648–1700) in 1684 [18]. This oil on canvas painting, which measures 256.5 by 201 centimeters, was acquired by the British consul George Davies in Naples on behalf of the fifth Earl for 400 ducats, for the pair of paintings, in 1684 [19]. Flowers in a Vase Decorated with Reliefs is an example of Giuseppe’s international reach and mastery of a range of subjects. During his 1684 visit to Naples, the fifth Earl commissioned several still life paintings from Giuseppe [20]. As part of a pair of paintings, this composition’s price of 200 ducats shows the great economic valuation of Giuseppe’s paintings. The Earl also commissioned more still life paintings, two large paintings of fish and four smaller paintings including fish and game, in 1685 from Giuseppe after this piece [21].

Claudia Salvi suggests that Giuseppe painted in various genres and adjusted his painting style to the taste of particular patrons [22]. This painting is reminiscent in style to Flemish or Dutch still life paintings of decadent bouquets. In the pair of paintings, the large vases are decorated in reliefs that depict mythological scenes. This relief includes figures of Perseus and Andromeda, while the other painting in the pair includes Lapiths and Centaurs. Vividly colored and detailed flowers fill the vase in the foreground. The painting is decadent and brilliant in color, with the setting appearing to be the interior of a grand palace. The vase is situated in a room with a table draped in a red satin cloth and another satin cloth on the ground amidst more flowers. Behind the vase, there is an ornamental parapet with a few more smaller pots of flowers. The background of the painting looks out to a landscape of hills and a cloudy sky. This painting creates a bountiful and rich scene suitable to the tastes of the Earl.

Works Cited

1. Forgione, Gianluca. “Giuseppe Recco.” Essay. In Dizionario Biografico Degli Italiani 86, 86:690–93. Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 2016.

2. “Giuseppe Recco - A Cat Stealing Fish.” Metmuseum.org. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed October 13, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437376.

3. Causa, Raffaello. La Natura Morta a Napoli Nel Sei e Nel Settecento. 5. Vol. 5. Storia Di Napoli. Napoli, Italia: Società editrice storia di Napoli, 1969. 

4. Damian Véronique. “Giovan Battista Recco.” Essay. In L'œil Gourmand: A Journey through Neapolitan Still Life of the 17th Century: Paris, Galerie Canesso, 26 September - 27 October 2007, 34–35. Paris, France: Galerie Canesso, 2007. 

5. Damian Véronique and Claudia Salvi. “Giuseppe Recco.” Essay. In L'œil Gourmand: A Journey through Neapolitan Still Life of the 17th Century: Paris, Galerie Canesso, 26 September - 27 October 2007, 80-81. Paris, France: Galerie Canesso, 2007

6. Damian Véronique and Claudia Salvi. “Giuseppe Recco.” Essay. In L'œil Gourmand: A Journey through Neapolitan Still Life of the 17th Century: Paris, Galerie Canesso, 26 September - 27 October 2007, 80-81. Paris, France: Galerie Canesso, 2007

7. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

8. Damian Véronique and Claudia Salvi. “Giuseppe Recco.” Essay. In L'œil Gourmand: A Journey through Neapolitan Still Life of the 17th Century: Paris, Galerie Canesso, 26 September - 27 October 2007, 80-81. Paris, France: Galerie Canesso, 2007

9. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

10. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

11. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

12. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

13. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

14. Giordano, Luca, and Giuseppe Recco. “The Riches of the Sea with Neptune, Tritons and Two Nereids.” AGSA. Art Gallery of South Australia, January 1, 1684. https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/collection-publications/collection/works/the-riches-of-the-sea-with-neptune-tritons-and-two-nereids/27349/.

15. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

16. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

17. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

18. “Giuseppe Recco: A Still Life Painting.” Giuseppe Recco. | Burghley Collections. Burghley House Preservation Trust Limited. https://collections.burghley.co.uk/collection/giuseppe-recco/.

19. "Giuseppe Recco: A Still Life Painting.” Giuseppe Recco. | Burghley Collections. Burghley House Preservation Trust Limited. https://collections.burghley.co.uk/collection/giuseppe-recco/.

20. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

21. Marshall, Christopher. “More Beautiful than Nature Itself: The Early Commercial and Critical Fortunes of Neapolitan Baroque Still-Life Painting.” Open Arts Journal 2017-18, no. 6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5456/issn.2050-3679/2018w07.

22. Damian Véronique and Claudia Salvi. “Giuseppe Recco.” Essay. In L'œil Gourmand: A Journey through Neapolitan Still Life of the 17th Century: Paris, Galerie Canesso, 26 September - 27 October 2007, 80-81. Paris, France: Galerie Canesso, 2007