Basket of Fruit 1615 - 1625

Bartolomeo Cavarozzi’s ‘Basket of Fruit,’ was painted in oil on canvas, sometime in the early 17th century. It’s interesting to consider the materiality of this painting. Cavarozzi used ground pigments mixed with oil, a relatively new technology at the time. This allowed for incredibly detailed realism, and a luscious rendering of surfaces, seen especially well in the grapes. The basket, the painting's namesake, is meticulously depicted, and the artist paid attention to the woven texture, creating an illusion of depth and tactile quality. However, the fruit itself is the true subject. It’s carefully arranged to create a sense of abundance and visual pleasure, and the foods included were luxury goods at the time. This wasn't an everyday meal, but a carefully constructed display of wealth and worldly possessions. Ultimately, understanding the materials and processes used here allows us to appreciate not just the artist’s skill, but also the cultural values embedded in the work. It encourages us to reconsider distinctions between fine art and other forms of visual culture, like still-life painting and, of course, the production and consumption of food itself.