Curatorial Narrative This enigmatic work, “Amaryllis and Mirtillo. Scene from Guarinis ‘Pastor Fido'”, assumes its place within the early 1700s cultural landscape, where the excesses of Baroque ornamentation were beginning to give way to a more restrained classicism. The artist’s masterful handling of impasto technique imbues the painting with an almost tactile quality, as if the rich, velvety textures could be plucked from the canvas like ripe fruit. The palette, characterized by its lavish use of reds, blues, and golds, is a deliberate attempt to conjure a sense of opulence, while the judicious application of white and black highlights serves to underscore the artist’s attention to detail.As we consider the work in its enlarged state 51 x 44 inches several key aspects come into relief. The chromatic structure, initially dominated by warm, earthy tones, begins to reveal a more nuanced interplay between cool blues and rich reds. T