Sicilian Girl with Fruit Basket 1965

Frank Mason painted 'Sicilian Girl with Fruit Basket' with oils, sometime during his career as a 20th-century American artist. It depicts a young woman holding a basket overflowing with fruit, which invites us to think about the visual codes that connect women to nature. We can also consider this painting in the context of the artist's own education and practice. Mason was a traditionalist, committed to the academic methods taught at institutions like the Art Students League in New York. His style was rooted in the European Old Masters. The picturesque subject matter, the painterly brushstrokes, and the emphasis on light and shadow show us his influences. If we research further into his biography, we see that Mason often painted idealized scenes of Italy, reflecting a romantic vision of Southern European culture that had enduring appeal in the United States. By considering these historical, cultural and institutional factors, we are able to see 'Sicilian Girl with Fruit Basket' as more than just a pretty picture, and instead as a complex cultural artifact.