Artwork
Strawberries
Strawberries is a print by Jean-Émile Laboureur. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1925.972
- Credit line
- Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
About this work
Overview
Jean‑Émile Laboureur’s 1924 print Strawberries presents a quiet domestic scene. A woman in a loose dress and headscarf holds a pitcher brimming with ripe strawberries, while a leafy plant with spiky foliage and tiny blossoms occupies the background. The composition balances the figure and fruit, creating a modest yet focused still‑life tableau.
Subject & Meaning
The work centers on the tactile appeal of fresh strawberries, symbolising abundance and seasonal bounty. By placing the fruit in a pitcher held by a modestly dressed woman, Laboureur evokes everyday nourishment and the quiet rituals of the kitchen, inviting viewers to contemplate the simple pleasures of food and labor.
Technique & Style
Executed in Laboureur’s characteristic graphic manner, the print relies on strong line work and careful shading to model form. Contrasting areas of light and dark generate a subtle chiaroscuro effect, especially across the woman’s face and the fruit, giving the scene depth while maintaining a flat, illustrative quality typical of his early‑20th‑century prints.
History & Provenance
Created during a prolific period for Laboureur, who worked across painting, engraving, and illustration, the print reflects his interest in merging fine‑art techniques with commercial illustration. Strawberries was produced in 1924 and has since appeared in several French print collections, documenting the artist’s engagement with everyday subjects in the interwar years.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Émile Laboureur, known as Jean Émile (16 August 1877, Nantes – 16 June 1943, near Pénestin) was a French painter, designer, engraver, watercolorist, lithographer, and illustrator.
