still life: fruit, 1855, oil on canvas, by severin roesen (active in america 1848-1872) - the metropolitan museum of art - 1000 fifth avenue - map it here
You know what they say, right? An apple a day keeps the doctor away! As do five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Preferably fresh.
Well, those pictured here above are very tempting. Although not that fresh. Severin Roesen's painting date back to 1855. I do, however, appreciate that they come with a flute of Champagne.
You can admire them up close, together with the wax composition in front of it and the crazy furniture by a famous New York cabinet maker of the time, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Here below, what you can read on the label of this piece, followed by a little background on the artist from Wikipedia.
Label text
Originally a porcelain painter, Roesen came to New York about 1848, possibly as a result of political upheavals in his native Germany. His lavish, highly detailed still lifes celebrate nature's bounty while showcasing his technical virtuosity. Such depictions of abundance reflected the increasing availibility and variety of fruit in this period, the result of improvemens in cultivation and transportation.
Originally a porcelain painter, Roesen came to New York about 1848, possibly as a result of political upheavals in his native Germany. His lavish, highly detailed still lifes celebrate nature's bounty while showcasing his technical virtuosity. Such depictions of abundance reflected the increasing availibility and variety of fruit in this period, the result of improvemens in cultivation and transportation.
Born in Germany, Severin Roesen, a young practicing still-life artist, came to the United States to live in the mid 1800's. He originally lived in New York upon coming to the country but settled in Williamsport in 1860. Many of the area residents commisioned Roesen's work and he became good friends with some of those individuals including Peter Herdic who hung some of Roesen's paintings in the Herdic Hotel.
Roesen disappeared from the Williamsport and from record in 1872, although there is a work dated for that year. Various reports indicate that he died in Philadelphia, New York, or Williamsport but there are no death records to substantiate this information.
Although Roesen was famous for his work in the Williamsport area, it wasn't until 100 years after his death that his paintings were brought to the attention of the larger public by First Lady Jackie Kennedy when she hung several of his paintings in the newly refurbished White House. To this day, many local Williamsport residents appreciate his work and talent and many private residents have some of his paintings which have become family heirlooms that are passed down through the generations.
