Artwork
Grapes and Walnuts on a Table
Grapes and Walnuts on a Table is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Alfred Sisley. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of both grapes and walnuts highlights a simple, rustic arrangement typical of Sisley's approach to capturing everyday objects during this period.
Alfred Sisley's 1876 oil painting presents a still life composition featuring grapes and walnuts arranged on a table surface. The work explicitly depicts these specific food items, categorizing it within the genre of meal-related still lifes. By focusing on ordinary fruits and nuts, the painting represents a direct observation of domestic sustenance rather than an elaborate allegorical scene.
The inclusion of both grapes and walnuts highlights a simple, rustic arrangement typical of Sisley's approach to capturing everyday objects during this period.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1876, this still life by Alfred Sisley is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 38.1 cm in height and 55.2 cm in width. Visually, the composition focuses on a tabletop arrangement featuring grapes and walnuts, elements that define its genre classification.
The application of oil paint allows for the textural rendering of the fruit and nuts against the supporting surface.
History & Provenance
Alfred Sisley executed the oil painting Grapes and Walnuts on a Table in 1876. The work, which depicts a still life arrangement of grapes and walnuts, was once owned by John Taylor Spaulding. It currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
The work is held by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. It was acquired by John Taylor Spaulding and remains in the museum's collection. The painting has not been recorded in any major exhibition history beyond its inclusion in the museum's permanent displays.
Overview
Alfred Sisley’s 1888 oil painting Grapes and Walnuts on a Table presents a modest still‑life arrangement. Executed in the Impressionist manner, the work shows a white plate bearing green grapes and a few red apples, alongside three walnuts placed on a cloth, accompanied by a knife and a nutcracker. The background recedes into a dark, indistinct blur, allowing the objects to dominate the visual field.
Context
Created toward the end of Sisley’s career, the work reflects the broader Impressionist shift toward intimate, interior subjects during the 1880s. While his contemporaries often explored urban leisure scenes, Sisley’s choice of a simple table setting aligns with the period’s fascination with light, color, and the fleeting qualities of ordinary objects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Sisley (; French:; 30 October 1839–29 January 1899) was a French-Born British Impressionist landscape painter who was born to British parents, but spent most of his life in France.
