Still Life with Fruit

A wicker basket sits at the center of this arrangement, surrounded by white grapes, peaches, a slice of watermelon, scattered berries, and curling vine leaves, all set against a dark background that pushes the fruit forward into view. The painting was created in 1852 using oil, and it is held today at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The artist, Severin Roesen, painted this work titled Still Life with Fruit. One detail worth noticing is how the pale grapes catch what light there is, standing out sharply against the surrounding darkness and the richer tones of the peaches and watermelon.