Still Life with Apples

1886

Charles Ethan Porter

Associated Names
Charles Ethan Porter

Painter, American, 1847 - 1923

In this painting, a pile of apples is spread out on a wooden surface, with some stacked atop each other. The apples are predominantly red, but some have large patches of light green or yellow. They have short brown stems. The main pile of apples is slightly to the left of center, and some apples are away from the pile, towards the edges of the surface. The apples cast shadows on the wooden surface, suggesting a light coming from the right side. The light also reflects off of the apples. Behind the apples is a dark gray wall.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

More About this Artwork

Article:  Who Is Charles Ethan Porter? 7 Things to Know

Porter was the first known professional Black artist to specialize in still lifes, and his paintings were admired by the likes of writer Mark Twain and painter Frederic Edwin Church.


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Lisa Baskin [Mrs. Leonard Baskin], Leeds, Massachusetts; gift 2013 to NGA.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

lower right: C E Porter

Wikidata ID

Q20189840

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