Untitled Still Life (Bowl and Fruit on Cloth-dr …

Matteo Sandonà
Untitled Still Life (Bowl and Fruit on Cloth-draped Table)
Oil on canvas, c. 1900
20 1/4 x 26 1/4 inches
Promised gift of Nancy Dustin Wall Moure
PG.2004.009.020

A versatile artist, Matteo Sandonà also painted figural works and still lifes. Some of his figure works include floral still lifes as part of the composition. However, here is a pure still life, a sensuous depiction of fruit and flowers on a white cloth. It is a classic impressionist still life that echoes the work of Henri Fantin-Latour. At center is a bowl of fruit—peaches, plums, and grapes. At right, a single, green glass plate is empty, as if awaiting use. Behind the plate, and a little to the left, is a ceramic milk pitcher and a vase of flowers. The white tablecloth completely fills the lower half of the composition. The colors of flower and fruit echo throughout as scattered reflective tones in the cloth. Sandonà has blurred the edges of the forms, creating a shimmering—and seemingly out of focus—beautiful picture.