Artwork
Bodegón con peras melones platos y barril
Bodegón con peras melones platos y barril is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Luis Egidio Meléndez. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Luis Egidio Meléndez painted this still‑life in 1764. Executed in oil on canvas, the work presents a modest grouping of fruit, dishes and a barrel on a wooden table, set against a dark backdrop that emphasizes the objects’ colours and textures. The painting belongs to the Prado Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a large melon on the right, a cluster of pears placed before it, and a stack of plates supporting a small bowl that holds a spoon and indeterminate items. A wooden barrel with a stick atop it appears behind the plates, creating a quiet domestic scene that celebrates ordinary materiality.
Technique & Style
Meléndez renders each surface with meticulous attention to volume, using subtle shifts of light and shadow to model the fruit skins, ceramic glaze and wooden grain. The restrained palette and controlled brushwork reflect the late Rococo’s move toward naturalistic observation, while the dark ground heightens contrast and depth.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑eighteenth century, the painting has remained in Spain’s public holdings, eventually entering the Museo del Prado’s collection where it is displayed among other works by the artist and his contemporaries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Luis Egidio Meléndez (1716–1780) was a Spanish painter. Though he received little acclaim during his lifetime and died in poverty, Meléndez is recognized as one of the greatest Spanish still-life painters of the 18th…
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