Alfred Ruby (1849-1909) / Late 19th Century / Still Life With Fruit / Oil On Canvas

This oil on canvas by Alfred Rouby perfectly illustrates the painter's mastery of floral and fruit still lifes, a genre to which he consistently devoted himself. The scene features a basket of plums accompanied by bunches of red and white currants, arranged in front of an earthenware pitcher and a white dish. These domestic objects add a touch of refinement and are part of the tradition of French still lifes inherited from the 17th century. The russet-colored foliage completes the scene and reinforces the idea of the passage of time. Rouby uses a rich but temperate palette, alternating the warm tones of the fruit with the cool hues of the pitcher. The soft light emphasizes the volumes without theatricality. The simultaneous presence of plums and currants—summer fruits—associated with autumnal leaves places the composition at the end of summer, on the threshold of autumn. The painter thus chooses a pivotal moment, one where abundance culminates while announcing its decline. This tension between vitality and fragility is part of the tradition of vanitas, where the ripe fruit and falling grapes in the foreground recall the transience of earthly goods. Rouby renews this classical theme with a balanced composition and refined chromatic harmony.

46 x 55 without frame

Alfred Rouby (1849–1909)
French painter, Alfred Rouby was the student of Pierre-Marie Beyle (1838–1902), painter of genre scenes and oriental inspiration. This training instilled in him a taste for detail and refined composition. Rouby specialized in floral and fruit still lifes, which he executed with great delicacy. His bouquets of carnations, violets or lilacs, like his fruit compositions, are often arranged in elegant vases or baskets, sometimes accompanied by a few petals or fallen fruits in the foreground, a discreet symbol of the ephemeral.