“Still Life with Fruit Plate” is an artwork created by the artist Paul Gauguin in 1880, in Paris, France. This piece, rendered in oil on canvas, exemplifies the Impressionist movement of the time. Measuring a modest 16.5 cm by 25 cm, this still life painting belongs to a private collection. The artwork, in its genre, captures the essence of still life representation, a staple in art that often focuses on household items and everyday objects.
The artwork presents a rich tapestry of textures and colors, characteristic of Gauguin’s Impressionist influences. Depicted is a table adorned with a white cloth, upon which rests a plate filled with an assortment of fruit. The composition shows various whole fruits both on the plate and scattered around the table, suggesting a casual arrangement that might have been found in a typical household of the time. The brushwork is loose and expressive, a hallmark of the Impressionist technique, attempting to capture the effects of light and color rather than detailed realism. The use of shadow and light in the painting creates depth, grounding the objects in space, while the softened edges and dapples of paint convey the ephemeral quality of the moment being captured.
