Yellow Basket of Fruit

Dateca.1835 (probably)

MediumWatercolor on wove paper

DimensionsPrimary Support; irreg.: 10 3/8 x 14 1/2in. (26.4 x 36.8cm) and Framed: 13 5/8 x 16 9/16in.

Credit LineGift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

Object number1931.303.3

DescriptionA basket in two shades of yellow with green decoration holds an arrangement of fruits, including grapes, pears, an apple, blueberries, currants or gooseberries, cherries, strawberries, and a peach. Some foliage is also shown. The apple and pears seem oversize compared to the rest of the fruit. The basket "floats," i.e., there is no support, context, background, or point of reference. Artist unidentified.

The 2-inch gilded frame is probably a period replacement.
Label TextThe gaily striped basket appears to sag beneath the weight of the heavy fruits, an effect inadvertently produced by the freehand leaf decoration on the rim of the basket, giving it the appearance of rolling outward and down. The highlights on the stenciled fruits were probably achieved by the "wash and softening" style recommended in instruction books such as, somewhat later, L. B. Urbino and Henry Day, ART RECREATIONS (Boston: J. E. Tilton and Co., 1868). This method required wetting the painted area with the brush and then passing a handkerchief rapidly over the spot.
ProvenanceFound in Boston; Edith Gregor Halpert, Downtown Gallery, New York, N.Y.; Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; Given to C. W. by Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.