A fine 19th-century still life with apples and plums by British artist, George Clare (1835-1890). 

Clare had a skill for capturing nature’s bounty with such detail that it appeared good enough to eat. While many of his contemporaries were focusing on the landscape, he was foraging through the hedgerows searching for inspiration. Today, he’s considered to be one of the finest British still life painters of his generation.

His work evokes a gentle walk in the English countryside and it celebrates the array of fruit we have on our doorstep. He paints berries, grapes, apples and damsons that tumble from baskets and rest within leafy foliage.

Clare exhibited widely during his life including at The Royal Academy, The Royal Society of British Artists, and The British Institution.

The painting is housed within a beautiful pierced frame with foliate decoration and swept corners.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 16” x 17½” / 40cm x 44cm
Year of creation: c. 1860
Provenance: England
Condition: Overall very presentable. Canvas relined. 
Artist’s Auction Highlight: £10,600 achieved for ‘A Still Life of Violets, Apple Blossom, Geraniums, Bird's Nest’ at Sotheby's in 1996.