Still Life with Carnations and Exotic Fruit (Primary Title)
Still Life (Former Title)
Jan Van Os, Dutch, 1744 - 1808 (Artist)
Jan Van Os was the last great painter of Dutch flower and fruit still lifes of the 17th century. His process began by studying each distinct element of the composition in individual watercolor studies. He then based his painting on these sketches, not on the actual fruit and flowers, which would have faded or spoiled during the long time he spent depicting them. Though here he mixed flowers and fruit that bloom or ripen in different seasons and in different regions of the world, he knit them together so masterfully that they seem naturally to belong together. Van Os was a master of light, color, and optical effects, evident especially in the white carnations and the grapes.
Can you find the fly sitting on a grape that both casts a shadow and reflects light off its wings?
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