Still life painting Jars and Fruits - Oil painting
Title: Still Life with Vessels and Fruit
Artist: Unknown (signed, but illegible)
Date: ca. 1985
Medium: Oil on board
Dimensions: Approx. 60 x 80 cm including frame
Style: Post-Impressionist with Folk-Art Influences
Description:
This vibrant still life from around 1985 showcases a richly composed tableau of rustic ceramics and fresh fruit, rendered in a bold, expressive style. Painted in oil on board, the composition combines earthy tones with vivid accents, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The foreground features a diverse assortment of jugs, bottles, and pitchers, each depicted with strong contours and a textural attention to form. Their glazes range from glossy black to sunlit yellow and deep olive, while decorative motifs—such as a sweeping dark blue leaf pattern—add a stylized, almost folk-art character. A cluster of grapes, bright citrus slices, and red apples are arranged in a shallow dish at the center, creating a dynamic focal point.
Rising above the tabletop, a sprig of Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi) adds height and visual rhythm to the composition, drawing the eye upward into the swirling patterns subtly incised into the warm brown background.
The work is signed in the lower right corner with an unclear signature. Though the artist’s identity remains uncertain, the piece demonstrates a confident hand and a strong sense of balance and color.
Color Palette:
• Background: Burnt sienna and chestnut brown with etched linear patterns
• Vessels: Yellow ochre, muted olive, cream, black, and cobalt blue
• Fruits: Vermilion red, lemon yellow, orange, and deep indigo
Framing:
Presented in a lightly cream-colored wooden frame with beveled edges, the piece is ready for display and complements a wide range of interior styles.