Artwork
Fruit and Baltimore Oriole
Fruit and Baltimore Oriole is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Wagguno. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on reverse (no longer visible, recorded in donor records but no known photograph): Painted by Wagguno, 1858
About this work
Technique & Style
Its formal qualities include precise botanical and avian detail, balanced composition, and naturalistic rendering characteristic of the period.
Oil on canvas painting by Wagguno depicting Fruit and Baltimore Oriole, executed in 1858. The work measures 56 cm in height by 72.1 cm in width and is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The painting is rendered in oil paint on canvas, reflecting mid-19th century American artistic practice. Its formal qualities include precise botanical and avian detail, balanced composition, and naturalistic rendering characteristic of the period. The support is canvas, a common medium for fine art works of this era, and the handling and condition have been maintained through the museum's stewardship since its acquisition.
History & Provenance
Fruit and Baltimore Oriole is an oil on canvas painting created in 1858 by Wagguno. The work entered the collection of Lambertville, New Jersey, and was sold in 1950 by Edgar H. Sittig of Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pennsylvania, to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The couple subsequently bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains in the institution's collection.
The painting measures 56 by 72.1 centimeters and is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art's collection records.
The painting Fruit and Baltimore Oriole is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was acquired by the museum in 1980 through the bequest of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Prior to entering the national collection, the work was sold in 1950 by Edgar H. Sittig of Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pennsylvania, to the Garbisches after originating from Lambertville, New Jersey.
The source material provides a detailed provenance chain but does not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor does it document any exhibition history for the work.
Overview
Fruit and Baltimore Oriole is an oil on canvas painted in 1858 by the artist Wagguno. The work presents a richly detailed still life that combines a cut watermelon, assorted fruit, and a perched bird within an interior setting, framed by a painted landscape in the background.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a sliced watermelon exposing its pink flesh and dark seeds, placed on a white plate among grapes, apples, pineapples, and other fruit. A Baltimore oriole rests on a nearby basket, its vivid plumage contrasting with the surrounding produce, suggesting a study of natural abundance and color.
Context
The inclusion of a landscape featuring a river and mountains behind the still life reflects a 19th‑century interest in integrating interior and exterior scenes, linking the domestic tableau with a broader natural environment.
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