Severin Roesen (1816–c. 1872)

Still Life: Champagne and Fruit dates from 1851.  Roesen painted a group of similar pictures that also feature an abundant basket of fruit with a glass of wine on a dessert plate in the lower right of the composition.  Other examples of this type can be found in the collections of The White House, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute.  Roesen’s earliest known American still lifes are distinguished by their sharpness and clarity of form, and for their firm sense of design and composition. Each piece of fruit is meticulously delineated. This attention to detail reflects the artist's close observation of nature and interest in scientific accuracy. As here, Roesen often placed a few elements slightly in front of the edge of the tabletop so that they would appear to project forward into the viewer's space in trompe l'oeil fashion. Characteristically, paint is applied smoothly and evenly. The objects appear to be lit in natural light and the colors are bright and radiant. Roesen's still lifes gloriously testify to nature's bountiful variety, as well as to the optimistic outlook of America during the High Victorian era.