Artwork
Mound of Cherries
Mound of Cherries is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist William Mason Brown. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: WM Brown
About this work
Technique & Style
Mound of Cherries is an oil painting executed on a wood panel support. The work measures 16.5 cm in height and 21.6 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece is classified as a still life, depicting a cluster of fruit.
Documentation from the early 1990s indicates that the painting underwent conservation treatment prior to its eventual donation to the National Gallery of Art.
History & Provenance
No exhibition history beyond the provenance of ownership and the 2018 gift to the National Gallery of Art is documented in the available records.
Mound of Cherries is an oil painting on wood panel created by William Mason Brown, though no specific date of execution is recorded. The work entered the collection of William H. Gerdts and Abigail Booth Gerdts in New York by 1990 or 1991, a timeframe supported by documentation regarding conservation treatment performed on the piece during those years. The Gerdts family retained ownership until 2018, at which point they donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Mound of Cherries is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting entered the museum in 2018 as a gift from William H. [1929–2020] and Abigail Booth Gerdts of New York, who had owned the work by 1990/1991, when Abigail Booth Gerdts documented conservation treatment carried out on the panel; that documentation was transferred with the gift to the NGA curatorial files.
No exhibition history beyond the provenance of ownership and the 2018 gift to the National Gallery of Art is documented in the available records.
Overview
Mound of Cherries is an oil painting by William Mason Brown, completed in 1863. This still life depicts a generous pile of ripe cherries, rendered with a keen attention to natural detail. The work showcases the artist's ability to capture the fresh appearance and tactile qualities of organic subjects, presenting a vibrant and focused study of fruit against a muted backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a cluster of cherries, some deep red and others with an orange blush, arranged as if freshly gathered on a patch of grass. Their intertwined stems contribute to a sense of organic disarray. The background features indistinct dark green foliage, which recedes into shadow, emphasizing the fruit's prominence and vividness within the frame.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
An American still-life painter of the late 1800s, William Mason Brown focused on everyday fruit and objects with quiet precision.
