Artwork
Two Pears on a Tabletop
Two Pears on a Tabletop is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Sanford Robinson Gifford. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left on envelope: Gifford / 15 10th St / N.Y.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work belongs to Sanford Robinson Gifford's early production, dated 1866, and reflects the careful handling of oil paint characteristic of his practice.
Two Pears on a Tabletop is an oil painting executed on canvas, a modest still life measuring 28.6 by 29.9 centimeters. The work belongs to Sanford Robinson Gifford's early production, dated 1866, and reflects the careful handling of oil paint characteristic of his practice.
Stylistically, the painting demonstrates a restrained, contemplative approach consistent with Gifford's broader engagement with tonal and atmospheric effects, here applied to the intimate subject of two pears arranged on a tabletop. The format and scale suggest a closely observed study rather than a large-scale composition, with the artist focusing attention on subtle gradations of light, color, and surface texture to model the fruit and its support.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1866 by Sanford Robinson Gifford. It entered the ownership of John T. Wilson in 1867 and remained in his collection until 1964 when it was purchased by William H. Gerdts through Henry M. Fuller, as documented by a 12 December 2001 letter from Abigail Booth Gerdts to Nicolai Cikovsky, Jr. The work was subsequently gifted in 2001 to the National Gallery of Art by William H. Gerdts, with the transfer recorded as a partial and promised gift. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., now holds the painting, which measures 28.6 cm in height and 29.9 cm in width.
Two Pears on a Tabletop is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the collection through a partial and promised gift in 2001 from William H. Gerdts (1929–2020) of New York. Gerdts had acquired the painting on 27 April 1964 from Vose Galleries in Boston, where it had been held under stock number 21383; the buyer-of-record was Henry M. Fuller, who purchased it on Gerdts's behalf and retained it until reimbursement. Prior to that, the work had been acquired in 1867 by John T. Wilson of New York.
Overview
Sanford Robinson Gifford’s oil on canvas, titled Two Pears on a Tabletop, dates to around 1866. The work presents a modest still‑life arrangement: two pears of differing hues rest on a small plate, a half‑filled glass stands behind them, and a dark wooden wall forms the backdrop. Crumpled papers lie in the lower left, adding a touch of everyday disorder.
Subject & Meaning
The composition concentrates on ordinary objects, a pair of fruit, a drinking vessel, and scattered paper, without narrative embellishment. By isolating these items, Gifford invites contemplation of their material qualities and the quiet moments of domestic life, emphasizing the inherent visual interest found in simple, unadorned subjects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sanford Robinson Gifford (July 10, 1823 – August 29, 1880) was an American landscape painter and a leading member of the second generation of Hudson River School artists.
