Still Life_ Basket with Fruit on a Table in front of a Curtain and Wallpaper 1909

Ottilie W. Roederstein made this painting of a fruit basket against a floral wallpaper, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. There’s something so earnest about the way she approaches the fruit and the textures of this scene. She builds up the paint in layers, especially in the floral pattern of the wallpaper. Each dab of blue seems to exist independently, yet it all comes together to create this lush surface. The basket is woven with short, choppy strokes. The green curtain is a smooth contrast. Then you get these rounded, almost geometric forms of the fruit, interrupted by confident strokes. Take a look at the apples. See the confident way the painter builds up a few strokes of red? It’s not overly blended or fussy. And I love how the white of the tablecloth isn’t just flat but has these subtle variations in tone. You can really see the hand of the artist in every part of the painting. It reminds me a bit of Morandi, someone who looked at a simple object and found a whole universe of form and color. It's not just about capturing reality, but about exploring how the paint itself can bring the world to life.