Wine, Cheese, and Fruit
1857
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1857
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Wine, Cheese, and Fruit is a 1857 oil by John F. Francis, a Impressionism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting shows a table with wine, cheese, and fruit. The artist arranged these items in a beautiful way. The painting is interesting because it was made during a time when photography was becoming popular, and portrait painters like John F. Francis had to find new work, which is why he started painting still-life scenes like this one. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of glazing.
Succulent grapes, crumbling cheese, sparkling wine in elegant glasses, and cognac in tumblers are depicted in this opulent dessert picture by John Francis. Originally an itinerant portrait painter, Francis turned to still life in the mid-19th century when the availability of daguerreotype portraits rendered his trade obsolete. The penchant for household embellishment among the Victorian middle class created a lively market for still-life paintings, which were often hung in dining rooms. While spirits are featured prominently in this painting, the glasses that are less than half full and the…
Elizabeth Selden Hubbard, Findley, Ohio; by descent to William Buckley Hubbard, by 1994; Christie’s, New York, 1994; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1994.
“Important Works and New Galleries at Art Institute,” Antiques and Auction News, Mar. 24, 1995, 27–28 (ill.). “Chicago’s Art Institute Lists Recent Acquisitions,” Antiques and The Arts Weekly, July 21, 1995, 80 (ill.). Judith A. Barter, et al., American Arts at The Art Institute of Chicago: From Colonial Times to World War I (Art Institute of Chicago, 1998), 184–85, no. 84. Judith A. Barter, "True to the Senses and False in Its Essence: Still–Life and Trompe l'Oeil Painting in Victorian America," Museum Studies 31, 1 (Art Institute of Chicago, 2005) p. 35 (ill.).
Read the full account in the museum source.
John F. Francis (1808–1886) was an American artist, born in Philadelphia.
See the richer artist page
