Peaches c. 1870

Editor: Carducius Plantagenet Ream's "Peaches," painted around 1870 using oil paints, presents a compelling arrangement. There's a quiet drama in the way the light falls on the fruit against that dark background. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This work, while seemingly simple, sits within complex historical frameworks. We need to consider what a still life like this meant at the time. How might the burgeoning industrial era influence a renewed appreciation for the pastoral? Beyond being "just peaches," this painting represents a relationship with nature that was already becoming fraught with tension and desire. How might these ripe peaches connect to the sensuality of Realism? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way! I was focused on the peaches themselves and the realism, but you’re right; it represents a specific point in our cultural understanding of nature. So, do you think that reading social or even political ideas into this still life painting is valid? Curator: Absolutely. Take, for instance, the question of abundance and access during that period. Who gets to enjoy such fruit? Who does the work to bring them to the table? It isn't just a pleasant picture of fruit; it's reflective of the societal and labor hierarchies in a developing nation, specifically in its agricultural sectors, in a moment of reckoning after a Civil War based on exploited labor practices. Do you notice how that darkness both contrasts with and seems to almost threaten the peaches? Editor: Wow, I definitely see it now! The dark background feels almost ominous. I am so thankful for that new viewpoint and how that single element brings it all into the light. Curator: Yes, looking at Ream’s "Peaches" can encourage us to contemplate both our historical and present relationships with nature and the politics that undergird our choices.