Artwork
Still Life with Bottles and Fruit
Still Life with Bottles and Fruit is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Alexej von Jawlensky. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: a. jawlensky; upper left reverse: N. 11
About this work
Jawlensky painted bottles and fruit on a table in 1900, the colors bold and the shapes a little off. Realism meets a rough, almost childlike line: light catches the apples and lemons while the edges blur. The imperfection is what makes it stand out.
History & Provenance
, as part of the Benjamin and Lilian Hertzberg bequest in 2004, where it is held under accession number 2004.
Still Life with Bottles and Fruit was painted by Alexej von Jawlensky in 1900 in oil on canvas. Its documented ownership history begins with Benjamin and Lilian Hertzberg of New York. A label on the reverse from Kleemann Galleries, New York, bearing the number K7254, suggests the Hertzbergs may have acquired the work through that gallery, though this attribution is tentative.
The painting entered the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as part of the Benjamin and Lilian Hertzberg bequest in 2004, where it is held under accession number 2004.1.2. The work has not been recorded in major temporary exhibitions in the sources consulted.
Overview
Alexej von Jawlensky's 1900 oil on canvas, Still Life with Bottles and Fruit, presents a domestic arrangement of common objects. This early work by the artist features a collection of simple bottles and various fruits positioned on a table surface. It serves as an example of Jawlensky's initial forays into still life painting, where he began to explore the interplay of color and form in everyday subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The composition of Still Life with Bottles and Fruit centers on an unassuming display of household items. Several bottles stand alongside an assortment of fruits, including what appear to be apples and lemons. The artist's rendering evokes a sensory experience, suggesting the distinct flavors and textures of the produce. This focus on familiar objects elevates the mundane into a subject for artistic contemplation.
Technique & Style
Jawlensky employs oil paint to create a distinctive visual language in this still life. The work combines elements of realism with a noticeably unrefined, almost naive linearity. Bold colors define the forms, yet the outlines of the objects appear somewhat distorted, and their edges often blur despite the presence of light. This deliberate departure from strict naturalism contributes to the painting's unique and expressive character.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alexej Georgewitsch von Jawlensky (Russian: Алексе́й Гео́ргиевич Явле́нский, romanized: Alekséy Geórgiyevich Yavlénskiy; 13 March 1864 – 15 March 1941), surname also spelt as Yavlensky, was a Russian expressionist painter active in Germany.
Natură statică cu trei portocale, un sifon, o sticlă pe a cărei etichetă scrie "Cotnari" și un ulcior colorat verde-ocru. Suport albastru-verde, fundal gri-albastru-violet. Compoziție dezechilibrată prin prezența celor trei verticale (vas de lut, sifon, sticlă) poziționate central. Semnat și datat cu verde, dreapta jos: Craiu (19)71?.
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