Artwork
Three Pears and an Apple
Three Pears and an Apple is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist David Johnson. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
David Johnson’s 1857 oil on board, Three Pears and an Apple, presents a modest still‑life composition. Four pieces of fruit—three pears and a single apple—rest upon a plain white cloth, set against a subdued brown backdrop. The work’s quiet arrangement emphasizes the simple forms and muted palette characteristic of mid‑nineteenth‑century genre painting.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on everyday produce, highlighting the natural variations in colour and texture among the pears and the apple. By placing the fruit in an informal cluster, Johnson draws attention to the ordinary beauty of common objects, inviting contemplation of abundance and the fleeting nature of fresh harvest.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on board, the piece employs a restrained palette of yellows, greens, reds, and earth tones. Johnson’s brushwork renders the fruit’s skin with subtle gradations, while the white cloth and muted background provide a neutral field that accentuates the tactile qualities of the subjects.
History & Provenance
Created in 1857, the work belongs to the period when Johnson was active in the United States, producing a range of still‑life and genre scenes. Documentation of its early ownership is limited, but the painting has been recorded in several mid‑twentieth‑century collection inventories, indicating continued interest among private collectors.
Context
During the 1850s, American painters often turned to still‑life subjects to explore realism and domestic themes. Johnson’s choice of fruit aligns with contemporary interests in depicting the bounty of the New World, while his modest compositional approach reflects the influence of European still‑life traditions adapted to an American sensibility.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Johnson (May 10, 1827 – January 30, 1908) was an American painter, a member of the second generation of Hudson River School painters.
