Nurnbergische Hesperides: Limon bergamotto personzin gientile

1714

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Nurnbergische Hesperides: Limon bergamotto personzin gientile is a 1714 by Joseph de Montalegre, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Joseph de Montalegre
When & what style?: 1714 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows citrus fruits—lemons, bergamots, and citrons—piled in a wicker basket. The fruits glow against a dark background, each one carefully painted with tiny highlights on the rind. This kind of still life was new in 1700s Hungary. Artists often paired fruit pictures with myth or science, but here the focus is just on the fruit’s rich colors and textures. Check out similar bright fruit studies at The Cleveland Museum of Art.