Artwork
Still Life with Melon
Still Life with Melon is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
About this work
Overview
Claude Monet’s 1872 oil work titled Still Life with Melon presents a modest composition of fruit arranged on a table. A yellow‑green melon rests beside a cluster of green grapes, set against a blue‑patterned plate and a white‑covered tabletop. The painting is part of the collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The piece depicts a simple domestic scene, focusing on the textures and forms of the melon and grapes. By isolating everyday objects, Monet invites contemplation of their material qualities, while the muted palette emphasizes a quiet, contemplative atmosphere rather than overt symbolism.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the work employs a restrained colour scheme, with soft greens and yellows dominating the surface. Light appears to strike from the right, casting subtle shadows that model the fruit’s volume. Monet’s brushwork captures the delicate surface of the skin and the sheen of the grapes, while the background remains loosely rendered.
History & Provenance
Created early in Monet’s career, the painting later entered the holdings of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader interest in 19th‑century French painting, though specific details of its provenance before reaching the museum are not widely documented.
Artist & collection
Artist
Oscar-Claude Monet was born in Paris on November 14, 1840, and raised from the age of five in Le Havre, where he began selling charcoal caricatures as a teenager.
