Varied Fruit

Dateca. 1825

MediumPaint on silk

DimensionsPrimary Support: 8 13/16 x 10 3/8in. (22.4 x 26.4cm); Unframed, i.e., solid tertiary support: 9 x 10 1/2in. (22.9 x 26.7cm); and Framed: 11 x 12 5/8 x 1 1/2in.

Credit LineGift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

Object number1933.403.1

DescriptionA composition of various fruits in a compote on an ambiguously-defined mat or tabletop with a blank background. The compote is two-handled, the brown rim flowing outward to form the handles; its foot is alternately blue, red, and black; the body is yellow with blue stripes. A large green melon fills much of the bowl of the compote. Other fruits include barberries, currants, a peach, and a pear. Several leaves are also shown. Artist unidentified.

The 1 1/4-inch gilded and molded frame is a period replacement.

Label TextThe glossy, tightly-woven silk support enhances the crispness of this composition of fruits, which are shown in an especially gaily decorated compote. Theorem pictures were usually executed on velvet or paper; why this artist chose silk is unknown. The piece has a history of having been handed down in the Saben family of Winchester, New Hampshire.
ProvenanceMiss Nellie Saben, Winchester, New Hampshire; Miss Adeline T. Joyce, Franconia, New Hampshire; purchased by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller in 1933 and given by her to CWF in 1939.