First presented in the 2019 Genoa exhibition Bernardo Strozzi 1582–1644, this small-format still life is likely the earliest known example of the genre by Bernardo Strozzi. It offers new insight into his still-life production, a debated aspect of his oeuvre, often simplified by the Genoa–Venice dichotomy. The 1644 posthumous inventory confirms that Strozzi painted some still lifes himself, though his workshop also produced serial versions, requiring caution in attributing works.

This painting’s execution over earlier passages—such as an orange beneath a copper jug—proves it was painted from life, not a studio copy. Its modest size and refined, intimate style contrast with the Baroque exuberance of his later Venetian works, aligning more with Lombard still-life painters like Figino, Galizia, and Nuvolone. Recent archival research confirms Strozzi’s presence in Milan (1609–1611), where exposure to Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit likely influenced his development. The painting’s dark ground, compact surface, and naturalistic brushwork support its dating to this formative Milanese period or shortly after.