Lemons
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 16.51 × 24.13 cm (6 1/2 × 9 1/2 in.) framed: 33.34 × 40.64 × 4.45 cm (13 1/8 × 16 × 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts
Accession Number
2018.44.10
Art Historical Context
George Henry Hall’s *Lemons* (1884) is a modest yet captivating oil-on-canvas still life that invites close looking. Measuring just over six by nine inches, painting’s intimate scale encourages viewers to appreciate the subtle play of light on the fruit’s textured skins and the careful arrangement of forms. Oil paint, with its rich blending and luminous qualities, was ideally suited for rendering the luminous surfaces and soft shadows that bring everyday objects to life. Created during a period when American artists increasingly turned to still life as a serious subject, the work reflects the...