Artwork

Still Life with Plate of Grapes Peaches Pears and Prunes in a Landscape

Still Life with Plate of Grapes Peaches Pears and Prunes in a Landscape is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Luis Egidio Meléndez. It dates from 1771 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Overview

Still Life with Plate of Grapes Peaches Pears and Prunes in a Landscape is an oil painting created by Luis Egidio Meléndez in 1771. It is a representative work of the Rococo movement, showcasing the artist's skill in still-life painting.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a still life of fruit, including grapes, peaches, pears, and prunes, arranged on a dark surface, set against a landscape background featuring a tree and distant hills under a cloudy sky.

Technique & Style

Meléndez's use of chiaroscuro is evident in the way light falls on the fruit, creating contrasting shiny and dull areas, and the dark background enhances the colors of the fruit.

History & Provenance

The painting is now part of the Museo del Prado's collection in Madrid, and its creator, Luis Egidio Meléndez, is recognized as a leading Spanish still-life artist, despite having received little recognition during his lifetime.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Luis Egidio Meléndez

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…