Ornament, Wax Fruit under Glass Globe 1935 - 1942

Editor: David S. De Vault created "Ornament, Wax Fruit under Glass Globe" sometime between 1935 and 1942. It's a watercolor and drawing piece that has a charmingly old-fashioned feel to it. What jumps out to you when you look at this? Curator: Well, first, I am immediately transported! Remember those slightly dusty, hyper-realistic wax fruit displays gracing antique shops or Grandma’s parlor? There’s something endearingly quaint and also subtly unsettling about them. De Vault captures that odd tension perfectly. Editor: Unsettling? How so? Curator: The perfection, I think. The fruit never rots, the colors remain impossibly vibrant. It’s a preserved, idealized vision of nature, almost mocking its ephemeral quality. Notice the clean lines, the almost hyper-real depiction, especially the basket weave. Do you see how the dome blurs the lines of the items within? Editor: Now that you point it out, the blurred edges definitely gives it a certain surreal look, like you're peering into a memory. Curator: Precisely! And in that reflection, one finds an interesting perspective, where still life transforms from mere representation into a commentary on time, memory, and the very human desire to capture and preserve beauty… or, at least, an *idea* of beauty. Editor: This has changed how I see this piece; it’s not just decorative, it's reflective of an illusion of eternal preservation! Curator: It certainly invites you to ponder the artistry within.