19th century, Still life with fruit

early nineteenth century

Still life with fruits

Oil on canvas, 64 x 52 cm

The still life analyzed presents a mix of floral and fruit elements arranged in a circular order on a table covered with a green cloth. The left part of the canvas is occupied by an elegant vase, minutely reproduced in its sinuous decorations, inside which a cascade of flowers has been carefully arranged; you can recognize roses, anemones and tulips. Next to the base of the vase there is a wicker basket inside which ripe figs have been distributed, the skins of which have split, revealing the reddish pulp, and a large bunch of white grapes, typical fruits that mark the end of the summer. On the sides of the basket there are some citrus fruits, on the left a lemon, on the right four oranges. In the background, a large, rounded watermelon has been deprived of a large slice, thus highlighting the juicy pink pulp inside. The smooth skin of the watermelon is topped with a cluster of dark grapes. The grapes are hit by a beam of light, which highlights their shapes and makes them emerge from the dark and uniform background, thus taking up the lesson of Caravaggio. The canvas is characterized by a lively, as well as varied, color palette.