Artwork

Fruit and Coffeepot

Fruit and Coffeepot, by Henri Matisse, oil, 1900
Fruit and Coffeepot, by Henri Matisse, oil, 1900

Fruit and Coffeepot is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Henri Matisse. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a coffeepot set on a table, accompanied by a cup and pieces of fruit, the elements recorded in the work's cataloguing.

Fruit and Coffeepot is a still life by Henri Matisse, a genre in which everyday domestic objects are arranged for pictorial study. The composition centers on a coffeepot set on a table, accompanied by a cup and pieces of fruit, the elements recorded in the work's cataloguing. The pairing of fruit with a coffeepot and cup reflects a conventional still-life arrangement drawn from the routine of the household, a subject Matisse returned to frequently in the late 1890s.

The choice of a coffee service and produce carries the traditional associations of nourishment and hospitality common to the still-life tradition, while the modest scale of the canvas emphasizes the intimate, observational character of the scene rather than any grand symbolic program.

Technique & Style

Henri Matisse created Fruit and Coffeepot in 1898 as an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 38.5 cm in height and 46.5 cm in width. As a still life, the composition depicts a table arrangement featuring fruit, a coffeepot, and cups.

Executed in France, the piece employs oil paint to render these domestic objects within a traditional genre framework.

History & Provenance

Henri Matisse completed Fruit and Coffeepot in 1898 while working in France. The oil painting entered the collection of Russian industrialist Ivan Morozov before being acquired by the Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display.

The work measures 38.5 cm by 46.5 cm and depicts a still life featuring fruit, a coffeepot, a table, a cup, and a coffee cup. It is cataloged as a still life painting created in oil on canvas.

The painting is held by the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Its inventory/accession details are recorded as 38.5 × 46.5 cm, oil on canvas. The work was included in the exhibition Morozov: A Family of Collectors held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, in 2021.

Overview

Created in 1900, Fruit and Coffeepot is an oil painting by Henri Matisse that presents a modest still‑life arrangement. The composition places a white plate bearing an orange, a pear and a lemon beside a dark coffeepot and a small cup on a simple tabletop. The work is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection.

Context

Fruit and Coffeepot belongs to a period when Matisse was exploring the possibilities of color and composition beyond Impressionism. The work illustrates his early experiments with still‑life subjects, a genre that allowed him to investigate the interplay of shape, hue, and spatial economy before moving toward the more abstract approaches of his later career.

Dishes and Fruit
Dishes and Fruit, Henri Matisse

Artist & collection

Portrait of Henri Matisse

Artist

Henri Matisse

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (French:; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship.

Hermitage Museum

Museum

Hermitage Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Hermitage Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Fruit and Coffeepot?

Fruit and Coffeepot was painted by Henri Matisse in 1898-01-01.

Where can I see Fruit and Coffeepot?

Fruit and Coffeepot is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Fruit and Coffeepot?

Fruit and Coffeepot is associated with Post-Impressionism.