Fruit Still Life Reproduction Oil Paintings On Canvas

Still Life Fruit Paintings

Fruit still life oil paintings make beautiful and popular wall art. Today, we explore some fruit paintings and the artists creating them.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s art provides some of the most unusual paintings of fruit dating from the 16th century.

Arcimboldo produced a series of four portraits (each depicting a different season) made entirely from fruit and vegetables.

In Summer, for instance, a peach forms on the man’s cheek. A pair of cherries hang below his nose while strawberries appear in his hair. In Autumn, bunches of grapes form the man’s hair while a large pear creates his nose. Arcimboldo's fun paintings are amusing and entertaining.

What Are Fruit Paintings called?

Fruit paintings are “still lifes”. This term describes artworks depicting fruits, vegetables, flowers, and tableware such as bowls and glasses.

Renaissance oil paintings were pioneered by Caravaggio pioneered with his  Boy with Basket of Fruit (1593) and the simple beauty of Basket of Fruit (c1598-99).

In addition to the Renaissance art period, many modern art oil paintings exist of both fruits and vegetables.  One notable fruit bowl painting is Pablo Picasso’s Book Bowl of Fruit and Mandolin. The Russian Expressionist painter Alexej von Jawlensky also depicted fruit in colorful works such as Still Life with Apples and Violet Fruit.

However, any famous fruit paintings must include Paul Cezanne's still life paintings, Still Life with Dish Glass and Apples, and Still Life Basket of Apples.

Are Still Life Paintings of Fruit Symbolic?

Fruit wall art often relates to ideas about life and death. Indeed, many Dutch Golden Age paintings depict fruit in stages of decay. The rotting fruit served as a “memento mori,” reminding viewers of their mortality.

On the other hand, fresh fruit embodies fertility, youth, and richness, while lots of fruits symbolize sexuality and prostitution. These fruits include medlars, pomegranates, figs, and oranges.

Indeed, a bowl of oranges appears in Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, suggesting the barmaid may also work as a prostitute.

Enjoy colorful wall art in our extensive catalog of painting reproductions.