Lines and Colors art blog

Eye Candy For Today: Leon Bonvin’s Basket of Apples

Still Life: Basket of Apples, Pear, Walnuts and Knife; Leon Bonvin
Still Life: Basket of Apples, Pear, Walnuts and Knife; Léon Bonvin

Original is in the Waters Art Museum, which has both a zoomable and downloadable file. There is also a zoomable image on Google Art Project and a downloadable file on Wikimedia Commons, though the one on the Walters’ site is larger.

Another beautiful and sensitively realized watercolor still life by 19th century French artist Léon Bonvin, who had to paint in whatever spare time he could find while managing a family restaurant.


Comments

4 responses to “Eye Candy For Today: Leon Bonvin’s Basket of Apples”

  1. What does to heighten with gum mean as Bonvin used to do?

    1. I’m not certain, ælle, but my assumption would be the addition of gum arabic, which is the binder in watercolor paints. Adding more can produce a bit of gloss and a different kind of transparency than water alone.

  2. https://www.naturalpigments.com/gum-arabic-powder.html
    Please, read product description.
    Very interesting. Thank you, Charley.

    1. Interesting, I didn’t know it could be used to create textural effects. Thanks, ælle.