The artwork “Still Life Apples and Pears” was created by the French artist Gustave Courbet in 1871. As an oil on canvas piece, it exemplifies the Realism movement, to which Courbet contributed significantly. This still life genre painting is part of a private collection and showcases Courbet’s ability to capture the essence of everyday objects with a sense of immediacy and tangible presence.
In the artwork, Courbet masterfully arranges a group of apples and pears on a plain surface that suggests a humble setting. The fruit, appearing rich and tactile, dominates the composition, with the colors red and yellow strikingly contrasting against the dark, muted background. Courbet’s brushwork is loose and fluid, a hallmark of his style, imparting texture and a sense of vitality to the apples and pears. There’s a careful attention to the play of light, illuminating the fruits and casting subtle shadows that enhance their three-dimensional form. The setting is unembellished, leaving the viewer to focus almost entirely on the portrayal of the fruit, which is rendered with an honesty and directness typical of the Realist ethos.
