Twelve Months of Fruit: February

1732

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Twelve Months of Fruit: February is a 1732 by Henry Fletcher, a Baroque work, depicting Fruit, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Henry Fletcher
When & what style?: 1732 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows a still life of fruit for the month of February. The artist used watercolor to add color to the fruit, making them look more realistic. This was a new approach at the time, as earlier works were often colored in a less realistic way. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of the artist: Henry Fletcher (British, active 1715–38)

The story of this work

Overview

Unlike in books from the previous century, Furber’s etchings were colored by hand with watercolor in a realistic manner. The example to the left, which had not yet been painted, demonstrates the conceptual importance of color. Watercolor enhances the three-dimensional effect of each fruit and adds significant visual interest. Although these prints fulfilled a utilitarian purpose, their decorative quality was also appreciated: they were reissued in numerous editions from the 1730s through the 1750s.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Henry Fletcher

Henry Fletcher (fl. 1710–1750), was an English engraver. Fletcher worked in London, and produced engravings possessing some merit. He most excelled as an engraver of flowers, notably The Twelve Months of Flowers and The…

See the richer artist page