Fruit and Baltimore Oriole
In this painting, a large half watermelon with vibrant red flesh and black seeds sits at the center of a white plate with a silver knife on top of it. Surrounding it on the long wooden table are various fruits, such as a yellow pineapple, red and green grapes, dark red plums, pink peaches, and a partially peeled orange. Below the table are some pumpkins or squash, as well as what could be figs or radishes. A yellow-and-black bird is perched on the handle of a yellow basket of mixed fruit placed behind the watermelon. Around the basket are white and pink flowers. In the background, on the left of the painting, a window reveals a scenic landscape featuring a winding river cutting through a green valley and dark, tree-filled hills below a light blue sky with faint pink clouds. The wall behind the table is a plain gray color.
Colors in this work
Details
- Artist
- Wagguno
- Date
- 1858
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- overall: 56 x 72.1 cm (22 1/16 x 28 3/8 in.)
- Department
- CAB
- Holding institution
- National Gallery of Art
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Image provider
- national-gallery-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Art Genome Taxonomy
9 tags
Subject Matter
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Still Life Both · 99%
The title and catalog description identify the work as a fruit-centered still life, and the image visibly presents fruit, flowers, a basket, plate, knife, and bird arranged on a tabletop.
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Animals Both · 99%
A bird identified in the title and catalog as a Baltimore oriole is visibly positioned above the fruit basket.
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Landscapes and Waterscapes Both · 98%
The catalog describes a landscape visible through the opening at left, and the image clearly shows a winding river, hills, trees, buildings, and sky.
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Flora Both · 99%
Flowers and abundant fruit are prominent visual elements, and the catalog specifically identifies flowers and multiple kinds of produce.
Visual Qualities
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Dense Composition Visual · 98%
The composition is densely packed with fruit, flowers, a basket, a large plate, and a knife across the tabletop and foreground.
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Bright and Vivid Colors Visual · 93%
Saturated reds, greens, yellows, oranges, and purples are especially prominent in the watermelon, fruit, basket, flowers, and bird.
Medium and Techniques
-
Oil Painting Metadata · 99%
The supplied medium is oil on canvas.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The work is dated 1858 in the supplied museum metadata.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
-
Plate Both · 99%
A large white plate is clearly visible beneath the watermelon, and the catalog identifies the plate as part of the composition.
Source & rights
Wagguno. Fruit and Baltimore Oriole. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.
High-resolution sources
- IIIF image service ↗ 30,931 × 23,909 · National Gallery Of Art · Available