Fruit in Footed Bowl

Dateca 1825

OriginAmerica, Mid-Atlantic or New England

MediumPaint on cotton velvet

DimensionsUnframed: 14 7/8 x 20 1/2in. and Framed: 18 3/4 x 24 1/8in.

Credit LineGift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

Object number1931.403.2

DescriptionStill life painting on white velvet done with stencils; fruits in a round footed black vase. Vase rests on a stylized mat of a light grey color indicated by series of spiraling lines. Vase has round foot and wide body to hold loosely grouped fruits, blue and darker blue grapes, numerous yellow peaches, fading cherries to left of top center, a green pear slightly to right of center, and extremely large brown pineapple tottering off arrangement to right with large green leaves, and some odd shaped and c colored berries suspended from the lip of the bowl to the far right. The rest of the area is filled in with various shaped stenciled leaves, and tiny black grape tendrils hang off the sides. Veins of leaves indicated with black lines.
Label TextProbably separate stencils were combined to achieve this graceful and loosely grouped fruit arrangement. Working from directions given in art instruction books, the nineteenth century artist could easily make his or her own stencils. Freehand additions to this composition include the grape tendrils and spiral decoratios to the surface under the bowl.
ProvenanceFound in Boston, Mass., by Edith Gregor Halpert, Downtown Gallery, New York, NY; Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., by whom given to CWF.