Red Apples on Blue Tablecloth 1920

Igor Grabar created this oil painting, "Red Apples on Blue Tablecloth," sometime in the early 20th century. The artist has applied the paint with visible, loaded brushstrokes. You can almost feel the surfaces of the apples, contrasting with the soft folds of fabric beneath. This direct handling of paint gives the work a tactile quality, turning it into a kind of equivalent for the experience of holding and eating real apples. The luscious colours and sensuous forms of the fruit are emphasized. Of course, paintings of humble subject matter like this have a long tradition, particularly in Dutch art of the 17th century. But there, the intent was often to emphasize the bounty afforded by the land, or to convey a moralistic message. Here, Grabar seems much more interested in the material qualities of the apples themselves, and the way they respond to light. In foregrounding these humble materials, Grabar challenges the traditional hierarchy between 'high' art and the everyday world.