American Art Still Life Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States1824 James Peale, American, 1749 - 1831 Oil on canvas * Gallery 108, American Art, first floor (Fernberger Family Gallery) 2007-65-8 Gift of the McNeil Americana Collection, 2007 |
LabelWhen James Peale's eyesight declined around 1810, he abandoned miniature painting for larger oil compositions such as this still life. In this work, a lavish display of peaches, pears, and grapes spill out of a Chinese export porcelain basket and a bowl. The attention to detail and dramatic use of shadows are reminiscent of seventeenth-century Dutch still life painting. The fruit is portrayed at the height of its ripeness, though the pears are beginning to show spots of age. Completed when Peale was seventy-four, this image may represent the artist's heightened awareness of the transience of time near the end of his life.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
