Monogrammist Vr - Still Life With Basket Of Fruit And Birds - Tempera On Canvas

Monogrammist VR
French school of the second half of the 19th century

Still life with basket of fruit and birds

Tempera on canvas
Monogrammed VR lower right under viscount's crown
74 x 61 cm

This elegant decorative composition represents a basket of fruit suspended by a blue ribbon in front of a half-open red curtain, revealing a bright sky. The basket overflows with peaches, quinces and white flowers, accompanied by foliage and blackberries. The scene is enlivened by the presence of a few insects and two birds, one in flight on the right, the other at the bottom of the painting, which bring a touch of liveliness and naturalness.

The style, marked by botanical precision and a fresh palette, is in the tradition of 19th-century decorative still lifes, heirs both to Flemish models and to painted decorations intended for bourgeois interiors. The oval format and the technique could indicate a function as an over-door or decorative panel.

This work elegantly illustrates the 19th century taste for compositions of abundance, mixing richness of fruit, brilliance of flowers and liveliness of birds, in a spirit that is both naturalistic and ornamental.