Still Life: Fruit
Artist: Adolphe Monticelli (French, 1824 - 1886)
Original Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1878-82) "A wine glass, a flask-shaped carafe, a knife and a plate of fruit are shown on a table, set against a flat dark background. The table is covered by a cloth decorated with flowers and blue stripes that help create a sense of recession into depth. Most of Monticelli’s still life paintings were made between 1875 and 1885, with the majority, including this one, were completed from 1878 to 1882. The patterned tablecloth shown here is also present in the artist’s Still Life: Oysters, Fish and A Vase of Wild Flowers (both in the National Gallery), making it possible that they were painted as pendants. The position of the table, which is placed parallel to the picture plane, recalls similar compositions by Cezanne painted in the late 1880s. It is worth remembering that Cezanne was an admirer of Monticelli’s use of impasto (thickly applied paint) as well as the directional brushstrokes of his later work, and the two painters were good friends during the 1880s." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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