Monogrammist VR - Still life with basket of fruit and birds

Monogrammist V. R.
French School, Second Half of the 19th Century

Still life with basket of fruit and birds

Tempera on canvas
Monogrammed lower right under a Viscount's Crown
74 x 61 cm

This elegant decorative composition depicts a basket of fruit suspended by a blue ribbon in front of a half-open red curtain, revealing a bright sky. The basket overflows with peaches, quinces, and white flowers, accompanied by foliage and blackberries. The scene is enlivened by the presence of a few insects and two birds, one flying to the right, the other at the bottom of the painting, which add a touch of liveliness and naturalness.

The style, marked by botanical precision and a fresh palette, is in the tradition of 19th-century decorative still lifes, inherited from both Flemish models and painted decorations intended for bourgeois interiors. The oval format and technique could indicate a function as an over-door or decorative panel.

This work elegantly illustrates the 19th century taste for compositions of abundance, mixing richness of fruit, brilliance of flowers and liveliness of birds, in a spirit that is both naturalistic and ornamental.