Famous Fruit
Paintings
Still-life images of fruit, long been a subject for painters, allows artists to display their particular gifts by trying their hand at a common subject. Some paintings bring out of the vibrant colors of the fruit, while others cast them in shadow, using their hues as counterpoint to a dark scene.
"Basket of Grapes, Quinces, and Pears," by Monet
Claude Monet, the world's most famous impressionist painter, brought his signature gauzy pastel aesthetic to a basket of local French produce.
"Still Life with Fruit," by Cezanne
Paul Cezanne, a French post-impressionist artist, painted fruit in partly cubist fashion, drawing straight lines, angular curves and flats planes of color to depict ripe fruit.
"Apple and Bowl," by Gauguin
Paul Gauguin painted apples in a bright, patently artificial array of hue, one that reflects the artist's frequent use of ecstatic colors.
"Still Life with Ginger Jar and Apples," by Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte, a French realist painter, brought his command of detail and moody coloration to a jar of ginger and apples, in which he placed special emphasis on shadow and an opaque light source.
"Fruit of Life," by Frida Kahlo
Kahlo selected guavas and other Mexican food in a twist on the traditional Western conception of the still life. The fruits in this painting have a orange coloration and a pulpish quality that, as the title alludes to, may be intended to suggest human flesh.
"Still Life: Fruit," by Courbet
Gustave Courbet, the gloomy French realist, strayed away from his normally dour subject matter for this colorful study of pears and apples, which he places by a window that looks out onto the countryside.
