Object of the Day: A Canadian Still Life

A wooden bowl tilts to spill a cascade of ripe bananas and peaches. A lone unripe peach has rolled off on its own, providing a shocking counterpoint of fresh green against the golden colors of its surroundings.


This still life painting signed by C. Vernon comes from Canada and dates to approximately 1880. It was part of the collection of a Canadian art aficionado which somehow made its way to Texas in early 2000.

Borrowing the ideals of Dutch and Flemish still life painters, the artist has arranged this assortment of slightly over-ripe fruit as a means of demonstrating the fleeting nature of time. The presence of the unripe peach—on its own—reminds us that we all have our own spot in the journey of life.