Luis Egidio Meléndez (Naples, 1716 - Madrid, 1780) "Still Life with Pears, Peaches, Grapes, and Melon". Oil on canvas. Relined. 44 x 63 cm. This painting is an analogous version to the one kept in the Prado Museum, dated 1771 and of almost identical dimensions, 42 x 62 cm (Catalogue No. P000931). As stated in the Prado Museum biography of the artist: "A Spanish painter, born in Italy to a Spanish family of Asturian origin, he was the son of Francisco Antonio, the miniaturist, and nephew of Miguel Jacinto, the portraitist. He began his education in Madrid alongside his father, then attended classes at the Preparatory Board of the Academy of San Fernando and was a pupil of Louis-Michel van Loo, mastering portrait technique, as demonstrated by his magnificent Self-Portrait (Musée du Louvre). His father's expulsion from the board, and a probable conflict with Van Loo as a result, led to his dismissal from academic studies. He travelled to Italy and later returned to Spain, where he initially worked as a miniaturist, but his most significant contribution was in still-life painting, becoming one of the most distinguished still-life painters in the history of the genre. His career belongs to the second half of the 18th century, a period when the century entered a decisive phase, gradually shaped during the reign of Philip V, both by the presence of foreigners at court and by the travels of Spaniards to Italy, along with projects to reorganise artistic education, an era that would reach its peak with Goya. Meléndez's paintings are generally characterised by great sobriety, executed with a solid sense of drawing and perfectionist realism, down to the smallest details. His ordered and clear compositions, with a taste for contrasts of light and shadow, possess an intensity that recalls the best achievements of Sánchez Cotán or Zurbarán". Reference bibliography: https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/16867/luis-egidio-melendez-de-ribera https://www.museodelprado.es/aprende/enciclopedia/voz/melendez-luis-egidio/e99ecaad-8a11-4614-932f-960df1f833e4 https://www.museobbaa.com/obra/bodegon-de-cocina/