Ritratto Della Famiglia Imperiale Di Genova. Nella Tela È Raffigurato Giovanni Vincenzo Imperiale, La Seconda Moglie Brigitta Spinola E Il Primogenito Francesco Maria Imperiali. 1642

Domenico Fiasella painted this portrait of the Imperiale family of Genoa, capturing Giovanni Vincenzo with his wife Brigitta Spinola and their son Francesco Maria. Notice the recurring motif of the rose, held by the children. Roses, emblems of love and beauty since ancient times, transcend mere decoration. We see echoes of this symbolism in Botticelli’s "Primavera," where flowers scatter, suggesting fertility and renewal. Yet, the rose also carries the weight of vanitas, a reminder of life's fleeting nature, a theme ever present in Dutch still life paintings. The inclusion of so many children serves not only to depict lineage and dynasty but also to invoke powerful emotional states within us, as viewers. The arrangement of the children, their innocent faces turned towards us, engages our subconscious and awakens primal feelings of protection and nurture. The rose, like the family it adorns here, is bound in a non-linear progression, resurfacing, evolving, and acquiring new layers of meaning across epochs.