(Rome 1635–1675)
A clock, a vase of flowers, a lute, a guitar, a sheet of music, a chair, and drapes,
signed upper left: il Conte Tibal(di),
oil on canvas, 98 x 133 cm, framed

The present still-life displays a rich repertory of precious elements: on two ledges ornamented with classical elements there is an arrangement including a heavy rug and a richly decorated cushion, on which a guitar and sheet of music rest. To the right is a chair and a drape with gold tassels to close the composition. In the background are a clock, a vase of flowers, another musical instrument and a vase.

Antonio Tibaldi, called Il Conte, was active in Rome during the third quarter of the seventeenth century. His identity has only recently been recovered by Gianluca and Ulisse Bocchi (see: G. Bocchi/U. Bocchi (ed.), Pittori di natura morta a Roma. Artisti italiani 1630–1750), allowing his works to be distinguished from those of another still-life painter, Francesco Fieravino, called Il Maltese.

The still-lifes of Antonio Tibaldi are characterised by an evident tendency to fill the picture with precious objects such as rugs, cushions, tableware, armour, musical instruments, treasure boxes, sweets and other things. The chair depicted in the present painting reoccurs in other works by the artist, such as those conserved in private collections in Trentino and Reggio Emilia (see G. Bocchi/U. Bocchi, Ibid., figs. AT12 - AT13). Likewise, the cushion placed in disarray at the centre of the present composition is also typical of the painter, and appears for example in the pair of still-lifes in the Musée Fesch, Ajaccio (see G. Bocchi/U. Bocchi, Ibid., figs. AT18-19).

Antonio Tibaldi enjoyed considerable esteem in Rome among the most influential patrons including the Barberini, Chigi and Colonna families.