An Abundance of Fruit

Berries, grapes, peaches, figs and other fruit are piled upon a marble slab, each grape and leaf picked out in such minute detail that the display feels almost artificial — a celebratory vision of nature’s bounty. Severin Roesen immigrated to the United States from Cologne in 1848 and settled in Pennsylvania, where German immigrants who operated local breweries supported him; while still lifes of the period typically adorned domestic dining rooms, this painting may have hung in a public tavern or restaurant, and Roesen probably painted pictures in exchange for beer. Painted around 1860, the canvas belongs to the confident, opulent maturity of his American years. The painting is held in the Art Institute of Chicago.