Artwork
Fruit: Pineapple, Plums and Grapes
Fruit: Pineapple, Plums and Grapes is a watercolor work on paper by William Hough. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
William Hough’s 1850 watercolor presents a still‑life arrangement of a sliced pineapple, a small cluster of plums and a bunch of grapes. Executed in transparent pigment on paper, the work is signed by the artist and measures a modest size typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century studies. The composition is set against an unadorned background, directing attention to the fruit’s forms and hues.
Subject & Meaning
The painting juxtaposes three distinct types of fruit, each symbolically linked to notions of abundance and exoticism in Victorian visual culture. The opened pineapple, with its textured interior, conveys a sense of the far‑reaching trade networks of the era, while the more familiar plums and grapes evoke domestic prosperity and seasonal bounty.
Technique & Style
Hough employs delicate washes and fine brushwork to render the varying surfaces: the pineapple’s glossy, almost lacquered skin, the soft matte of the plums, and the translucent sheen of the grapes. Light falls from the upper left, casting subtle shadows that model the forms and enhance the sense of depth on the plain paper ground.
History & Provenance
Created in 1850, the piece bears Hough’s signature, confirming authorship. Though its early ownership record is limited, the work now resides in a public collection, where it is displayed alongside comparable Victorian watercolors that illustrate the period’s interest in botanical and culinary subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Hough painted still lifes in watercolour around the late 1800s, crisply layering fruit like pineapple, plums and grapes with a light hand.
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