Artwork
Three Peaches on a Plate
Three Peaches on a Plate is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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- Inscribed:lower left: Fantin.68
About this work
Technique & Style
As a still life composition, the piece adheres to the genre conventions established by Henri Fantin-Latour during this period.
Created in 1868, Three Peaches on a Plate is an oil painting executed on paper mounted to a canvas support. The work measures 19.7 cm in height and 25.7 cm in width. As a still life composition, the piece adheres to the genre conventions established by Henri Fantin-Latour during this period.
The painting is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having been acquired as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon in 1994.
History & Provenance
Three Peaches on a Plate was painted by Henri Fantin-Latour in 1868, as indicated by the work’s date and its inception year of 1868. After its creation the painting entered the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, and remained with them until they gave it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1994. The sources do not record any earlier owners, commissions, or subsequent transfers beyond the Mellon gift.
The painting Three Peaches on a Plate by Henri Fantin-Latour is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's inventory in 1994 as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. While the artwork was created in 1868, the provided sources do not document any specific exhibition history or prior accession numbers beyond the 1994 transfer.
Overview
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1868 painting, Three Peaches on a Plate, is a still life executed in oil on paper, subsequently mounted on canvas. This work exemplifies the artist's dedication to depicting everyday subjects with careful observation. It features three ripe peaches resting on a white plate, set against a dark background, showcasing his characteristic approach to form and color.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents three distinct peaches, rendered in shades of red, yellow, and orange, positioned on a plain white plate. Fantin-Latour meticulously captures the subtle variations in their surfaces, suggesting their ripeness and texture. The arrangement is straightforward, reflecting the Realist emphasis on unidealized subjects and a direct engagement with the visual world, elevating a simple domestic scene.
Context
While Henri Fantin-Latour is widely recognized for his detailed flower paintings and his group portraits of prominent Parisian artists and writers, his still life works like Three Peaches on a Plate demonstrate another facet of his practice. These pieces underscore his commitment to the Realist movement's principles, which valued objective representation and a close study of nature, contributing to the broader artistic shifts of the mid-19th century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation:; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
