Still Life of Fruit: Apples, Pears, and Grapes on Ground

John William Hill

1874

watercolor

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Still Life fruit

About this work

You see a pile of apples, pears, and grapes resting on bare dirt. John William Hill painted this in 1874, the same year he died. He worked fast—watercolor dries quickly. The dirt looks loose, like he brushed it on in a hurry. Most still lifes sit on tables; here, the fruit feels accidental, as if dropped by a farm cart. The colors stay bright because watercolor soaks into paper instead of sitting on top. Look up the technique of glazing to see how layers of thin paint build up this kind of glow.