This work, entitled “Apples in bowl,” is an oil on canvas painting by the renowned artist Paul Gauguin created in 1888 in Arles-sur-tech, France. It is an exemplar of the Post-Impressionist movement, specifically within the still life genre. Currently, this piece is part of a private collection. As with many Post-Impressionist works, Gauguin’s painting diverges from the naturalism of the Impressionists towards a more abstracted style.
The artwork features a selection of apples placed within and around a bowl. The composition is relatively simple yet evocative of Gauguin’s unique handling of form and color. The brushwork is evident and adds texture to the surface, suggesting a tactile quality to the fruits and the materials surrounding them. From the depiction, some apples seem to rest on a piece of cloth, perhaps a napkin or tablecloth, that partially drapes over the table, providing a sense of depth and three-dimensionality to the arrangement.
Color plays a pivotal role in the artwork, with Gauguin employing a bold and expressive palette. The apples are painted in vibrant reds and greens, imbuing the still life with a sense of energy and vitality that is characteristic of many Post-Impressionist works. Light appears to be cast from one side, creating subtle shadows and enhancing the forms of the apples and the bowl. The background, though relatively muted, includes decorative floral elements that contribute to the domestic and intimate atmosphere of the scene.
The artwork’s seemingly straightforward subject matter—a bowl of apples—is transformed by Gauguin’s style into a complex interplay of color, light, and texture, reflecting the artist’s propensity to infuse his works with personal and symbolic meaning beyond the mere representation of objects in space.
