Artwork
Three Pears and an Apple
Three Pears and an Apple is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist David Johnson. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: with Compliments of / D. Johnson 1857
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Three Pears and an Apple depicts a modest still life composition of three ripe pears alongside a single apple arranged on a muted surface.
Three Pears and an Apple depicts a modest still life composition of three ripe pears alongside a single apple arranged on a muted surface. The arrangement emphasizes quiet domestic abundance and the fleeting nature of seasonal produce, reflecting mid‑nineteenth‑century American interests in everyday objects as symbols of domestic stability and the bounty of the household. Johnson’s precise rendering of texture and light underscores a contemplative realism that invites viewers to consider the simplicity and dignity of ordinary sustenance.
Technique & Style
Oil on board painting depicting Three Pears and an Apple, attributed to David Johnson. The work measures 27.3 cm × 35.6 cm and has been part of the National Gallery of Art collection in Washington, D.C. since its acquisition through a partial and promised gift in 2003. Formal stylistic qualities align with mid-19th century American still life traditions, characterized by precise brushwork and naturalistic rendering of fruit forms.
History & Provenance
The work entered the record as painted by David Johnson in 1857. By the mid-twentieth century it was held by Hilda Potter of Madison, New Jersey, from whom it was purchased in 1956 by William H. Gerdts in Newark. Gerdts later donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., through a partial and promised gift finalized in 2003.
David Johnson's 1857 painting Three Pears and an Apple is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's holdings through a partial and promised gift from the estate of William H. Gerdts in 2003. Prior to this transfer, the painting was acquired by Gerdts in 1956 from the gallery Rabin & Krueger in Newark, having previously been owned by Mrs. Hilda Potter of Madison, New Jersey. The provided sources do not list specific accession numbers or detail any exhibition history for the work.
Legacy
The painting Three Pears and an Apple has been part of the National Gallery of Art's collection since a 2003 gift from William H. Gerdts, influencing discussions of 19th-century American still life. Its inclusion in the museum's holdings reflects ongoing scholarly interest in the genre, as highlighted in contemporary analyses of American art history.
Overview
David Johnson’s 1857 oil on board, Three Pears and an Apple, presents a modest still‑life composition. Four pieces of fruit, three pears and a single apple, rest upon a plain white cloth, set against a subdued brown backdrop. The work’s quiet arrangement emphasizes the simple forms and muted palette characteristic of mid‑nineteenth‑century genre painting.
Context
During the 1850s, American painters often turned to still‑life subjects to explore realism and domestic themes. Johnson’s choice of fruit aligns with contemporary interests in depicting the bounty of the New World, while his modest compositional approach reflects the influence of European still‑life traditions adapted to an American sensibility.
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Artist & collection
Artist
David Johnson (May 10, 1827 – January 30, 1908) was an American painter, a member of the second generation of Hudson River School painters.
