Circle of Blas de Ledesma (1546 – circa 1600) – Oil on Canvas

It appears that there are quite a number of Bodegon still lifes that carry a period signature of Blas de Ledesma, making the expertise for authenticity very difficult. There are very few works that can be fully authenticated to Ledesma and we are grateful to Dr Peter Cherry who has given his opinion that this is not a work by this artist but a close follower. It is probable that this and other very similar works are from a workshop in Spain operating in the early 17th Century.

These Bodegon paintings have an extraordinary graphic and naturalistic style but few exist on this scale. They create a highly decorative and striking image that has been emulated by a number of later workshops.