Louise Moillon was one of the finest still-life painters in France in the first half of the 17th century. This spectacular painting, one of the few examples by Moillon in an American collection, was painted when the artist was 20 years of age. Her specialty was the meticulous rendering of fruits, and this still life epitomizes her success, displaying a restrained elegance and an idealized, classical perfection in all its components. Gooseberries, strawberries, cherries and a sprig of currants are represented as flawless specimens. The pristine blue-and-white porcelain bowls, the droplets of water and the small basket reflect her conservative but intense and highly ordered vision of the world. Whether the still-life paintings by Moillon and her French contemporaries, including Jacques Linard, lacked or eschewed the sophistication and panache of their Dutch counterparts, it is apparent that these painters embraced an entirely different aesthetic—one that was quieter, more contemplative and still satisfying in its own right.
Details
- Artist Name: Louise Moillon (French, 1610-1696)
- Title: Still Life with Cherries, Strawberries and Gooseberries
- Date: 1630
- Medium: Oil on panel
- Dimensions: 12-5/8 x 19-1/8 in. (32.1 x 48.6 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1972.36.2.P
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
[Duits, Ltd., London, stock no. 2007, sold 21 April 1972 to];
[Edward Speelman, Ltd., London, sold 31 August 1972 to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.
Three Centuries of French Art
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