Still Life With Peaches And Pitcher, Eugène Claude, Late 19th Century

Still life with peaches and pitcher
Eugène Claude
Oil on canvas
Late 19th century

Dim: 31 x 39 cm
Frame dim: 54.5 x 62.5 cm

This still life depicts an abundant basket of peaches, placed on a rustic table, with a few scattered fruits and a terracotta pitcher with a handle. The composition, beautifully sober, is enhanced by subtle lighting that accentuates the texture of the fruit and the patina of the pitcher. The dark background brings out the warm and natural colors of the whole.
Claude here follows the realist tradition of still lifes. He excels in the rendering of materials: the softness of the velvety peaches contrasts with the rough surface of the pitcher. The balance of the composition and the quality of execution testify to a sensitive eye for simple everyday things.

Condition: Very good.
An old restoration visible on the back of the canvas only, richly carved giltwood frame from the period and in perfect condition.

Eugène Claude (1841–1922) was a French painter born in Toulouse and died in Asnières-sur-Seine. Coming from a family of porcelain merchants, he began his career as a porcelain painter before devoting himself to easel painting. A member of the Société des Artistes Français, he specialized in still lifes – flowers, fruits, animals – and portraits. He began exhibiting at a very young age, in 1861, at the Paris Salon, and also regularly participated in the Salons of Lyon and Nantes. During his career, he presented more than sixty works at the official Salons, over a period of thirty years. His refined and naturalistic style was inspired by the great floral compositions of the 17th-century Flemish school, highlighting his taste for detail, the play of light and material effects. Eugène Claude received several distinctions: a class medal at the Salon des artistes français in 1895, as well as honorable mentions at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889 and 1900. He remains appreciated today on the art market, where his works demonstrate solid technical know-how and a decorative sense that was very fashionable at the end of the 19th century.