Painting, Still Life With Plums

Late19th century

“StillLife with Plums”

Canvaswith its original frame:88 x 72 cm

Signed E de Saintin,82

Dated 1882

Provenance:private collection.

Condition:Good condition

A beautiful and lavish still life depicting an abundant arrangementof plums in shades of violet, purple, pink, and gold,arranged in a bowl on a wooden ledge, accompaniedby an overturned wicker basket from which severalfruits appear to be spilling out.

Oil on canvas signed E. de Saintin and dated 1882,according to the markings on the work.

This composition follows in the great tradition of fruit still lifes,which were particularly popular in European paintingof the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

The artist organizes the scene around a skillful interplay of light andcontrast. Against a dark background of deep green and brown tones,the plums stand out vividly, revealing the full richness oftheir colors and the delicate velvety texture of their skin.

The wicker basket, lying on its side, adds movement tothis composition. A few branches and leaves break up thearrangement of the fruit, giving the whole a sense ofnaturalness and spontaneity.

The light, coming mainly from the left, highlights the volumes,the curves, and the differences in texture between the fruits, theleaves, the basket, and the wooden surface.

The symbolism of plums in painting:

In the tradition of still lifes, ripe fruits often evokeabundance, nature’s generosity, fertility,and the pleasures of life.

The plum also possesses a particular symbolic dimension.In certain ancient depictions, it is associated withfidelity, while purple plums may take on aspiritual meaning linked to the Passion of Christ.

More broadly, the ripeness of the fruit also recalls thetransience of beauty and the passage of time, a theme dear tostill-life painters.

In this work, the overturned basket and the fruit scattered across thetable can thus be interpreted as an evocation of the generosityof the harvests and the riches offered by nature.

A remarkable gilded frame:

The painting is presented in its substantial original frame, gilded withgold leaf and featuring rich ornamental decoration. The corners andcentral sections display particularly decorative relief work,composed of volutes, foliage, shells, and. The richness of this frame highlights the warm tonesof the composition and gives the work as a whole aremarkable presence.

PRICE: 3,400 euros