Artwork
Still Life with Cake
Still Life with Cake is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Raphaelle Peale. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted in 1818, Raphaelle Peale's work presents a composed arrangement of cake, grapes, other fruits, and wine.
Painted in 1818, Raphaelle Peale's work presents a composed arrangement of cake, grapes, other fruits, and wine. Originally titled "Still Life, Wine, Cakes, Grapes, &c.," the composition focuses on these specific consumable items without additional narrative elements. While the specific iconographic symbolism of the individual items is not explicitly detailed in available records, the work functions as a representative example of early 19th-century American still life, emphasizing the visual texture and presence of the depicted foodstuffs.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a wooden panel, a support typical of early American still-life practice, with the smooth, fine-grained surface allowing meticulous detail. Peale's handling is precise and tightly controlled, employing thin glazes to build luminous passages in the grapes while opaque scumbles articulate the lighter elements of the arrangement. The composition favors a low, horizontal format, with objects arranged close to the picture plane to emphasize texture and tactility. Warm, muted tones dominate, creating a restrained yet tactile stillness characteristic of Peale's mature style.
History & Provenance
Created in 1818, Raphaelle Peale's Still Life with Cake was executed in oil on a wood panel. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed in the American Wing and displayed in Gallery 756. Historically, the painting was also known by the title Still Life, Wine, Cakes, Grapes, &c. While the specific commission details for this piece are not recorded in the provided sources, its creation date of 1818 situates it within Peale's mature period of still-life production.
The work measures 27.3 by 38.7 centimeters and depicts an arrangement of cake, fruit, grapes, and wine, reflecting the artist's engagement with the genre during the early 19th century.
Still Life with Cake is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within the American Wing. The sources do not provide an accession or inventory number for the work. According to the museum's current display information, the painting is on view in Gallery 756. No additional exhibition history is detailed in the provided sources.
Overview
Raphaelle Peale's Still Life with Cake is an early 19th-century oil painting on wood, held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This work exemplifies the artist's dedication to the still-life genre, presenting a focused arrangement of everyday items. It is currently displayed within the museum's American Wing, offering insight into early American artistic practices and domestic subjects.
Context
Raphaelle Peale is recognized as one of the pioneering figures in American still-life painting. His practice involved a careful study of food items, aiming to capture their inherent qualities without the distraction of complex backdrops. This commitment to depicting simple subjects with such fidelity established a significant precedent for the genre in the United States during the nascent years of American art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Raphaelle Peale (sometimes spelled Raphael Peale; February 17, 1774 – March 4, 1825) is considered the first professional American painter of still-life.
