The Orchard Study, Mid-Century Italian Modernist Still Life, c.1960 (Oil on Board)

Oil on board • one-of-one piece

There’s a confidence to this piece—the kind you feel immediately in the paint. Thick, expressive, and unforced.

Sourced in Italy and dating to around 1960, this modernist still life sits just on the edge of abstraction. A work that brings movement, colour, and texture into a space without overwhelming it.

Description:

An original mid-century Italian still life, executed in oil on board and signed E. Maracci  

The composition is loose and painterly, built through layered impasto and palette knife work. The fruit forms—likely apples or peaches—are suggested rather than defined, set against a fractured, textural ground.

Painted on board rather than canvas, giving it a more grounded, stable feel. Presented in its original vintage frame with a soft white liner and gilt edge.

Notably, this piece is un-glazed, allowing the full depth and texture of the paint surface to be appreciated without reflection.

Dimensions:

• Painting (board): 40cm W × 30cm H
• Overall (framed): 60cm W × 50cm H

Details:

• Original oil on board
• Italy, circa 1960
• Signed lower left: E. Maracci
• Handwritten notation verso
• Impasto / palette knife technique
• Original vintage frame included
• No glass (open surface)

Condition:

Good vintage condition.

• Age-appropriate surface texture and minor cracking consistent with impasto technique
• Light wear and patina to frame
• Structurally solid and ready to hang

Styling notes:

Best placed where it can breathe. Limewashed or softly textured walls, timber or stone surfaces, and minimal surrounding objects. The exposed surface gives it a more immediate, tactile presence in a room.