Artwork
Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug

Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug is an unspecified painting by the Realist artist Adolphe-Félix Cals. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Adolphe-Félix Cals completed Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug in 1858. This oil painting exemplifies the artist's engagement with the still life genre, presenting a carefully arranged collection of everyday objects and foodstuffs. The work is part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a moment in 19th-century French art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a selection of domestic items and game. A plump partridge lies on its side, its head oriented towards the viewer, alongside a metal jug with a distinct handle. Surrounding these are various garden vegetables, including a prominent head of cabbage, a cauliflower, and two onions. This arrangement suggests a scene of preparation or a display of provisions.
Technique & Style
This choice contributes to an overall impression of understated elegance and straightforward depiction, characteristic of the period's realistic tendencies.
Cals rendered this still life with a commitment to realism, evident in the meticulous attention to surface textures and individual details of each object. The artist employed a restrained color palette, predominantly featuring muted tones of green, brown, and beige. This choice contributes to an overall impression of understated elegance and straightforward depiction, characteristic of the period's realistic tendencies.
History & Provenance
Created by Adolphe-Félix Cals in the mid-19th century, Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug has found its permanent home within the esteemed collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art. Its acquisition contributes to the museum's representation of 19th-century European painting, offering insight into the still life tradition of the era.
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