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拍品专文
One of the pioneer American still-life painters, James Peale first exhibited still-life subjects at the Columbianum in 1795. According to Linda Crocker Simmons, "The works exhibited document the birth of the still-life tradition in America; [James and his nephew Raphaelle] were to be the principal practitioners of this art form for many decades to come." (L.B. Miller, ed., The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, Washington, D.C., 1996, p. 217) Interestingly, James did not exhibit a still life again until 1826, never fully blossoming in this segment of his career until his 70s, after Raphaelle's death. Simmons explains, "The coincidence of these dates strongly implies that James did not pursue his own interest in the medium in order not to compete with his nephew." (The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, p. 218) Indeed, as demonstrated in Still Life of Fruit with a Porcelain Bowl, "His fruit pieces, lush evocations of the earth's abundance, won a popularity denied to Raphaelle Peale's stark, intense compositions." (Four Generations of Commissions: The Peale Collection of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland, 1975, p. 33)
Unlike other Peale family members who were fascinated by the natural sciences, James Peale's still lifes seem to focus more on direct observation of fruits and vegetables, particularly the changes in their appearance over time. Simmons writes, "James returned to still-life painting in the years before his death, the autumn of his life. The fruits and vegetables he painted then seem to refer to his own time frame; they often evidence full ripeness, if not the start of decay...His emphasis on blemishes and distorted shapes bespeaks the transience of life." (The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, pp. 218-19)
Indeed, in the present work, the golden hued apple at center and pear at right purposefully feature bruises that contrast with the glowing freshness of the other fruits. Encompassing the entire color spectrum from red, yellow and green to deep indigo, the arrangement also evidences a range of textures from the fuzzy peaches to the glistening grapes and smooth ceramic bowl. Together, the composition subtly creates a memento mori that epitomizes the best still lifes from James Peale's late career.
Unlike other Peale family members who were fascinated by the natural sciences, James Peale's still lifes seem to focus more on direct observation of fruits and vegetables, particularly the changes in their appearance over time. Simmons writes, "James returned to still-life painting in the years before his death, the autumn of his life. The fruits and vegetables he painted then seem to refer to his own time frame; they often evidence full ripeness, if not the start of decay...His emphasis on blemishes and distorted shapes bespeaks the transience of life." (The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, pp. 218-19)
Indeed, in the present work, the golden hued apple at center and pear at right purposefully feature bruises that contrast with the glowing freshness of the other fruits. Encompassing the entire color spectrum from red, yellow and green to deep indigo, the arrangement also evidences a range of textures from the fuzzy peaches to the glistening grapes and smooth ceramic bowl. Together, the composition subtly creates a memento mori that epitomizes the best still lifes from James Peale's late career.