Artwork
Pomegranates and Other Fruit in a Landscape
Pomegranates and Other Fruit in a Landscape is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Abraham Brueghel. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted in 1650 by Abraham Brueghel, this work presents a hybrid composition merging a landscape setting with a detailed still life arrangement.
Painted in 1650 by Abraham Brueghel, this work presents a hybrid composition merging a landscape setting with a detailed still life arrangement. The primary subjects include pomegranates, apples, and clusters of grapes, depicted alongside a lizard. While the piece is classified as a landscape painting, the inclusion of specific fruit varieties and wildlife suggests a focus on natural abundance and the diversity of the created world.
The juxtaposition of ripe fruit with a reptile introduces potential symbolic layers common to the era, possibly alluding to themes of temptation, the fleeting nature of life, or the intricate balance within the natural order. The painting's dual nature, serving as both a view of the outdoors and a study of organic forms, highlights the artist's interest in combining distinct genres into a single cohesive image.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support typical of mid-17th-century easel painting. Its dimensions measure roughly 61.9 cm in height by 74 cm in width, and it dates to around 1650. The composition brings together a variety of fruit, pomegranate, apple, and grape, alongside a lizard, set within a loosely rendered landscape, creating a hybrid of still life and genre scenery.
This integration reflects Abraham Brueghel's practice of combining detailed naturalistic observation with a decorative, balanced arrangement, evident in the careful handling of light and color across the fruit and background.
History & Provenance
Pomegranates and Other Fruit in a Landscape is dated to circa 1650 and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting, an oil on canvas measuring 61.9 cm in height by 74 cm in width, entered the museum's collection having earlier been owned by William T. Blodgett, the earliest verifiable owner documented in the institution's provenance records. No documented commission or preparatory materials have been identified, and its creation falls within Brueghel's mature period of still-life compositions integrated into landscape settings.
The available records do not list a specific accession number or a history of public exhibitions. The work is classified as a landscape painting featuring pomegranates, grapes, apples, and a lizard.
Overview
Titled Pomegranates and Other Fruit in a Landscape, this oil painting presents a vibrant arrangement of produce set against a somber, rugged backdrop. The composition centers on a diverse collection of fruits, carefully positioned on what appears to be a rustic wooden surface. The artist employs oil paint to render both the detailed textures of the fruit and the expansive, natural setting, creating a contrast between the immediate still life and its environment.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham Brueghel (baptised 28 November 1631 – c. 1690) was a Flemish painter from the famous Brueghel family of artists. He emigrated at a young age to Italy where he played an important role in the development of the…
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