Still Life with Fruit Theorem Painting
Maker
Unknown, American
ClassificationsDRAWINGS
Dateca. 1830
Mediumstenciled watercolor on paper
Dimensionsframe: 20 1/4 x 24 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. (51.4 x 61.6 x 3.8 cm.)
frame opening: 14 × 18 in. (35.6 × 45.7 cm.)
DescriptionStill life with fruit in a footed bowl; glazed, molded gilt wood frame
Markingsstamped: Thomas De La Rue & Co.
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Jonathan and Karin Fielding
Label TextVisual art, whether drawing or watercolor, in addition to needlework, was considered an essential part of a woman's education. Some women mastered art through theorem paintings, which used paper stencils for outlines. In this way, the amateur artist learned to form certain shapes, like flowers, leaves, or fruit, and to shade, so as to give the illusion of three-dimensionality. This theorem painting is meticulously colored, with extraordinary care given to the leaves' veining and to the powdery covering of natural yeast, called bloom, on the grapes' skin.Status
On viewObject number2016.25.100
Joseph Proctor
19th century
Object number: L2015.41.171
