Artwork
Orange Branch
Orange Branch is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist John La Farge. It dates from 1883 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
La Farge liked to layer oil paint thin and then bright, a trick called glazing.
John La Farge painted a single orange branch with three ripe fruits in 1883. Sunlight hits the fruit just right, making the rind glow. A few brown leaves curl around the stems.
La Farge liked to layer oil paint thin and then bright, a trick called glazing. This lets light pass through in layers. It makes colors hum like stained glass.
Look close and you’ll see his careful hand. See how the orange peels take on a warm sheen?
John La Farge
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a single branch laden with fruit and leaves, rendered in oil on canvas. The composition focuses on the natural forms of fruit and foliage, emphasizing their texture and color. As a still-life work within The American Wing, it isolates these elements without narrative context, allowing the viewer to engage with the vivid depiction of abundance.
The piece was created in 1883 and measures 138.4 cm in height by 29.5 cm in width, reflecting the artist's interest in botanical detail and formal balance.
Technique & Style
Created in 1883, Orange Branch is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work functions as a still life, formally focused on the depiction of fruit and foliage. The composition is characterized by an unusually tall and narrow format, measuring 138.4 cm in height against a width of only 29.5 cm. The painting is classified within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is currently listed as formerly attributed to John La Farge.
History & Provenance
The painting Orange Branch (1883) is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, classified within the American Wing as a still-life oil on canvas measuring 138.4 × 29.5 cm. It is currently listed as formerly attributed to John La Farge. No specific accession number or exhibition history is provided in the available records.
Overview
Created circa 1883, Orange Branch is an oil on canvas still‑life by American artist John La Farge. The composition centers on a single branch bearing three ripe oranges, accompanied by a few curled brown leaves. Light falls across the fruit, highlighting the glossy skins and giving the scene a subtle, luminous quality.
Context
Orange Branch reflects the late‑19th‑century American interest in still‑life as a vehicle for technical experimentation. La Farge’s focus on light and color aligns with contemporary European trends, yet his glazing technique draws directly from his innovations in American ecclesiastical glass art.
Artist & collection
Artist
John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics.
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