Artwork
Still Life with Fruit
Still Life with Fruit is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist Carducius Plantagenet Ream. It dates from 1877 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By presenting the fruit with careful attention to texture and light, Ream conveys both a celebration of natural bounty and a subtle meditation on transience.
The work titled Still Life with Fruit, painted by Carducius Plantagenet Ream in 1877, belongs to the still‑life genre and is part of The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its composition centers on a bowl of grapes and other fruit, a motif that in 19th‑century American art often signified abundance, seasonal harvest and the impermanence of material pleasures. By presenting the fruit with careful attention to texture and light, Ream conveys both a celebration of natural bounty and a subtle meditation on transience.
The painting’s iconography aligns with traditional still‑life symbolism, where such objects can suggest wealth, mortality, and the fleeting nature of sensory enjoyment.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring roughly 45.7 cm in height by 61 cm in width, and belongs to the still‑life genre. Carducius Plantagenet Ream applied oil paint to a stretched canvas support, building the composition through layered brushwork that emphasizes the texture of fruit and the subtle play of light on surface. The depiction centers on a modest arrangement of grapes and other fruit, rendered with a restrained palette and careful attention to detail characteristic of 19th‑century American still‑life practice.
The painting’s formal qualities include a balanced placement of objects and a modest background that allows the fruit to dominate the visual field.
History & Provenance
Still Life with Fruit is an 1877 oil on canvas painting by Carducius Plantagenet Ream. The work was completed in that year and measures 45.7 × 61 cm. It portrays assorted fruit, including grapes, in a composition typical of the still-life genre. Following its creation, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed as part of The American Wing;.
The museum's records identify it as a work in the American Wing's still-life category, confirming its provenance from the artist to museum ownership.
Still Life with Fruit (1877) by Carducius Plantagenet Ream is an oil on canvas work measuring 45.7 x 61 cm, listed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its accession is recorded under the museum's American paintings collection, though an explicit inventory number is not provided in the available documentation. The painting is catalogued as a still-life genre piece depicting fruit and grapes.
Exhibition records are not mentioned in the supplied sources, indicating that the work has not been publicly exhibited according to the cited references.
Overview
Carducius Plantagenet Ream's Still Life with Fruit, created in 1877, is an oil on canvas depicting a simple arrangement of fruit. Ream, an American artist originally from Ohio and later based in Chicago, was recognized for his specialized focus on still-life subjects, particularly fruit. This work exemplifies his dedicated practice within this genre, showcasing his approach to domestic scenes.
Context
Carducius Plantagenet Ream, an American painter, was born in Sugar Grove, Ohio, in 1838. He later established his artistic career in Chicago, where he developed his specialized practice. His dedication to the still-life genre, particularly fruit compositions, positioned him within a tradition of American artists exploring domestic and natural subjects. The painting is part of The American Wing collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cadurcis Plantagenet Ream, also referred to as Carducius Plantagenet Ream (May 8, 1838, Sugar Grove, Ohio - 20 June 1917, Chicago), was an American still-life painter who specialized in fruit.
