Artwork
Still Life with Fruit
Still Life with Fruit is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Jacob van Walscapelle. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right on ledge, in brown paint: J:Walscappel / 1675
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted in 1675, this work presents a traditional still life arrangement featuring clusters of grapes, a pomegranate, and a wine glass.
Painted in 1675, this work presents a traditional still life arrangement featuring clusters of grapes, a pomegranate, and a wine glass. While the specific iconographic program or symbolic meaning intended by Jacob van Walscapelle is not explicitly detailed in the available records, the selection of objects aligns with the genre's common focus on natural abundance. The inclusion of fruit and a vessel for wine suggests a representation of earthly provisions, yet the sources do not provide further interpretation regarding vanitas themes or specific allegorical messages associated with these elements in this particular composition.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on a vertically grained oak panel, the work measures 40 × 34.7 cm and exemplifies the refined Dutch still-life idiom of the late seventeenth century. Walscapelle rendered translucent grapes and pomegranate seeds with delicate glazes over a warm imprimatura, while the wine glass is painted with subtle reflections to suggest crystal clarity. The composition balances closely observed detail with a restrained palette of muted ochres, deep reds, and cool greens, creating a restrained yet luminous effect.
Handling is precise, with fine brushwork in the highlights and careful stippling to articulate seeds and pulp, while the background remains softly modulated to focus attention on the fruit. The panel’s stable support and careful conservation indicate the painting remains in good condition, with no significant tears or paint loss reported.
History & Provenance
Created in 1675, the oil-on-panel painting Still Life with Fruit by Jacob van Walscapelle entered the documented ownership chain with Etienne Le Roy of Brussels and William Tilden Blodgett of New York. By 1938, these early owners were recorded in a Wadsworth Atheneum exhibition catalogue, with Blodgett potentially acquiring the work during his 1870 European travels while negotiating for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting later passed through the Parisian dealer L. Souty Fils and the New York firm Julius H. Weitzner, Inc.
It was acquired by G. Huntington Hartford, II, and sold at Parke-Bernet in New York on December 12, 1956. Following a period with Newhouse Galleries, it was purchased by Jean McGrail, New York, and subsequently inherited by her daughter. The work was sold at Sotheby's, New York, on January 25, 2001, before being acquired by Berenberg Fine Art Limited and finally purchased by the National Gallery of Art on June 11, 2001, via Rob Smeets in Milan.
Still Life with Fruit is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it bears the accession number 2001.71.1. The museum acquired the panel on June 11, 2001, purchasing it through dealer Rob Smeets from Berenberg Fine Art Limited. Prior to entering the national collection, the work appeared in a 1938 exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum while owned by William Tilden Blodgett.
Its modern market history includes a sale at Parke-Bernet in New York on December 12, 1956, and a subsequent auction at Sotheby's New York on January 25, 2001, where it was offered as lot 219 following inheritance by the daughter of Jean McGrail.
Overview
This painting, titled Still Life with Fruit, is an oil on panel work. It presents a modest arrangement of common items: a bowl filled with fruit, a single wine glass, and a cluster of grapes resting on a table surface. The artist's deliberate composition and the interplay of light contribute to a sense of tranquility and focused observation within the scene.
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Artist & collection
Artist
A Dutch artist who specialized in lush still lifes, Jacob van Walscapelle painted glowing arrangements of fruit and flowers in the late 1600s.
