Rousseau (104) Henri Julien Felix Rousseau (1844-1910)

The composition presents a still life arrangement centered around domestic objects and fruit. A white porcelain coffee pot dominates the visual field, its curved spout extending towards the right edge of the canvas. The pots form is rendered with a simplified approach, emphasizing clean lines and geometric shapes rather than detailed texture. Blue accents trace the rim and handle, providing subtle contrast against the predominantly white surface.
Below the coffee pot, a cluster of fruit – oranges and pears – is arranged on what appears to be a draped table. The fruits are depicted in vibrant yellows and oranges, their surfaces appearing smooth and unblemished. They rest upon a dark red fabric that creates a visual separation from the background.
The backdrop is a flat expanse of green, devoid of any discernible detail or perspective. This stark simplicity serves to isolate the objects within the foreground, drawing attention to their forms and colors. The limited palette – white, blue, yellow, orange, red, and green – contributes to a sense of quietude and restraint.
The arrangement suggests an exploration of everyday domesticity. The coffee pot implies routine and ritual, while the fruit evokes abundance and nourishment. However, the lack of any human presence or narrative context lends the scene a detached quality. It is not presented as a depiction of lived experience but rather as a formal study of shapes, colors, and textures.
The painting’s subtexts might be interpreted as an investigation into the beauty found in commonplace objects, elevating them to the status of artistic subjects. The deliberate simplification of forms and the flattening of perspective suggest an interest in abstraction, hinting at a move away from representational accuracy towards a more conceptual exploration of visual elements.