Artwork
Quince; Apple
Quince; Apple is a watercolor work on paper by the Barbizon school artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. It dates from 1568 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This is a still life watercolour by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. It shows fruit including a lemon. Painted around 1560–1575, it’s part of a set of 59 botanical images.
The sheets were bound in fine leather. A Paris watermark dates them after 1568. Le Moyne fled France for England during religious unrest.
Look up the artist Le Moyne de Morgues, Jacques.
Overview
This watercolour, 'Quince; Apple', is one of 59 botanical images by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, a French artist. The work is a still life depiction of fruit.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows fruit, including a quince and an apple, with naturalistic detail. Damaged leaves suggest Le Moyne studied living specimens rather than copying existing illustrations.
Technique & Style
The watercolour is characterised by its detailed, naturalistic rendering of the fruit and foliage. Le Moyne's style reflects the 16th-century revival of botanical illustration, which emphasised observation of real plants.
History & Provenance
The watercolour is part of a set of 59 images originally bound in a tooled-leather binding, now held by the National Art Library at the V&A. The sheets were identified as Le Moyne's work in 1922 and subsequently mounted individually.
Context
Le Moyne likely created the watercolours between 1568 and 1572, fleeing France for England during this period due to religious persecution. A Paris watermark on the paper supports this dating.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (French pronunciation: ; c. 1533–1588) was a French artist and member of Jean Ribault's expedition to the New World. His depictions of Native American life and culture, colonial life, and…
