Still life with quinces 1880

Editor: Here we have Pericles Pantazis's "Still Life with Quinces" from 1880, an oil painting on canvas. I find the muted colours and the soft light very calming, almost meditative. What strikes you when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, understanding the sociopolitical context is crucial. Consider the rise of Realism and early Modernism in the late 19th century. Artists were increasingly turning away from academic painting and towards depicting everyday life, towards finding beauty in simplicity. What might these quinces signify in that context? Editor: Possibly a focus on ordinary subjects, moving away from idealized representations? It's interesting to see how a simple still life could be a statement. Curator: Exactly! Think about the Salon system and its power. Artists like Pantazis challenged that power by choosing these subjects. How does the impasto technique contribute to that, in your opinion? Editor: The thick paint seems to add a sense of the real, a tangible quality. It emphasizes the materiality of both the fruit and the painting itself. Curator: Precisely. It is about bringing forward that tactility, but this work avoids heavy symbolic load. This approach represents a shift in the function of art in public life; away from just illustrating established myths, and perhaps towards personal visual experience. How do you think modern audiences receive such an artwork compared to the initial viewers in the 1880s? Editor: Today, perhaps we're more accustomed to this kind of simplicity. I suppose viewers then may have found it unconventional, or even radical in its own way. Curator: A great observation; Pantazis’ painting prompts us to reflect on art's changing roles and the diverse ways we attribute value and meaning through shifting socio-political lenses. Editor: Thank you! It definitely makes me look at still lifes with fresh eyes.