The National Inventory of Continental European Paintings


Artist	Attributed to Bonzi, Pietro Paolo (Italian painter and printmaker, ca. 1576-1636)
Title	Fruit in a Landscape
Alternative/previous titles	Fruit Piece with Watermelon
Date earliest	about 1600
Date latest	about 1650
Material	oil on canvas
Measurements	54.6 x 74.4 cm
Description	This still life of fruit, flowers and plate in a garden is so worn and dirty that it is very hard to make an attribution. The central focus of this group is a half watermelon in a silver or pewter dish, surrounded by parrot tulips and viburnum. Silver and gold vessels are also depicted with grapes, peaches, plums, an orange and apricots.
Subject	still life
Collection	Holburne Museum of Art, Bath
Current accession number	A239
Acquisition details	Bequeathed by Miss Mary Anne Barbara Holburne 1882.
Provenance	Sir Thomas William Holburne, by 1867-74; by descent to Mary Anne Barbara Holburne (1802-1882), 1874.
Principal publications	Wright, C., Old Master Paintings in Britain: An Index of Continental Old Master Paintings Executed before c.1800 in Public Collections in the United Kingdom, London, 1976, p. 20.
Notes	Labels: Thomas William Holburne on back at top: 'Pietro Paolo Bonzi / better known as / Il Gobbo dei Frutti'. Previous attributions: Catalogue of the Pictures and Library, Engravings, Etchings and Miniatures, Belonging to Sir Thomas William Holburne, Bart., Bath, 1867, cat. no. 239: 'Paolo Bonzzi' - study; Catalogue of the Holburne of Menstrie Art Museum by W.Chaffers, London, 1887, cat. no. 1422: 'Paolo Bonzi'; F. Möckler, Holburne of Menstrie Art Museum, Bath, 1902, cat. no. 64: 'Paolo Bonzi'; hand written register of paintings, watercolours and miniatures, giving inventory numbers with ‘A’ prefix still in use, by G. Holden, Curator 1917-1926, compiled shortly after move to Sydney Hotel, cat. no. 239: 'Pietro Paolo Bonzi'; Courtauld list, 1971, cat. no. 45: Bonzi.
Rights status	© The Holburne Museum of Art, Bath
Author	Amina Wright