The Spice Shop
by BARBIERI, Paolo Antonio, Oil on canvas
Paolo Antonio Barbieri, brother of the famous Guercino, was a master of the still-life. The austere composition of The Spice Shop, in which tall spice jars are arranged in a row parallel to the picture plane, has similarities with the art of Jacopo da Empoli, while the characterization of the youthful and romantic seller of spices reflects aspects of Guercino’s style, though the execution is drier.