Artwork
Still Life with Apples and a Pomegranate

Still Life with Apples and a Pomegranate is an unspecified painting by the Realist artist Augustin Théodule Ribot. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Created in 1865, this oil painting presents a modest arrangement of fruit against a dark backdrop.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1865, this oil painting presents a modest arrangement of fruit against a dark backdrop. Green apples, one sliced to reveal its interior, sit beside a split, brown‑hued pomegranate. The composition is rendered with a quiet, restrained realism that invites close observation of texture and light.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on ordinary produce, emphasizing the tactile qualities of skin and flesh. By juxtaposing the smooth, unblemished apple surfaces with the exposed, seed‑filled interior of the pomegranate, the artist draws attention to the contrast between concealment and revelation, a subtle meditation on the everyday.
Technique & Style
Executed in the realist tradition, the painting employs careful modeling of light and shadow to achieve a three‑dimensional effect. The brushwork is smooth, allowing the fruit to appear almost palpable, while the dark background isolates the subjects, heightening their visual impact without decorative excess.
History & Provenance
Théodule‑Augustin Ribot, a largely self‑taught French painter who began his career decorating gilded frames in Paris, produced this piece during his mature realist period. It entered the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s 19th‑century European holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Théodule-Augustin Ribot (French: ; August 8, 1823 – September 11, 1891) was a French realist painter and printmaker.
















