“Fila”Spinner with Cat” by Felice Boselli belongs to the production of the Piacenza-born artist, active between the 17th and 18th centuries and known above all for still lifes, genre scenes and depictions of animals. Although he is particularly remembered for his renderings of kitchens, pantries, fish, game and domestic animals, Boselli also demonstrates in works such as this a concrete attention to everyday life and its protagonists.
The female figure is represented half-length, with the spindle in her hands and her gaze turned towards the viewer. However, the scene does not take on an idealized character: on the contrary, it retains a direct and domestic tone, close to 17th-century genre painting. The spinner thus becomes the centre of a simple but effective composition, in which the gesture of manual labour is described naturally.
Moreover, the presence of the cat, placed in the lower part of the canvas, introduces a lively detail consistent with Boselli’s interest in the animal world. The dark background focuses attention on the faces, hands and objects, while the soft light highlights the chromatic passages of the garments. On the other hand, the work reflects the Emilian taste for images capable of combining observation of reality, domestic intimacy and pictorial quality.
Description: Oil on canvas, within a period frame, H cm 82.5×52.5 – with frame H cm 118×92.5
Provenance: Important Private Collection – Parma.
Hammer Price: € 4.960,00
Auction 56 – 7 December 2022 – Dimore
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