Artwork
Still-life with fruit
Still-life with fruit is a watercolor work on paper by the Realist artist Leonid Osipovich Pasternak. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Leonid Osipovich Pasternak’s 1927 watercolour presents a modest still‑life: a white plate bearing a handful of fruit set against a deep, almost midnight, blue background. The composition is restrained, focusing on the quiet arrangement of the objects rather than dramatic narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a small selection of fruit—an apple, a lemon and a cluster of grapes—rendered in muted tones that emphasize their ordinary character. The simplicity of the scene suggests an interest in everyday objects, inviting contemplation of form and colour rather than symbolic content.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the painting employs loose, fluid brushwork that softens edges and creates a subtle atmospheric quality. The palette is restrained, with the dark background contrasting gently with the pale fruit, allowing the pigments to blend delicately without harsh delineation.
History & Provenance
Created in 1927, this piece belongs to the same productive period in which Pasternak produced a closely related still‑life now held in the collection of Mrs. Pasternak and Mrs. Pasternak‑Slater in Oxford. Both works share date and compositional approach, indicating a focused exploration of the genre during that year.
Context
The painting emerges from Pasternak’s broader engagement with watercolour in the 1920s, a time when many Russian artists were experimenting with the medium’s transparency and immediacy. Its subdued colour scheme aligns with contemporary trends toward modest, introspective subjects in post‑revolutionary art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Leonid Osipovich Pasternak was a Russian painter. He was the father of the poet and novelist Boris Pasternak.
