School of Severin Roesen (German-American, 1815-1872), Still Life with Strawberries and Fruit

Oil on canvas (lined), signed "S. Roesen" at lower right, presented in a very handsome carved and gilt composition frame appropriate for the period by Stephen Motyka, Motyka Frames, Rhode Island.


Stretcher size 30 1/4 x 43 1/2 in.; Frame dimensions 39 1/2 x 53 in.

Private Collection, Durham, North Carolina

From the Collection of James H. Craig and Randy S. Johnson, Sarasota, Florida
Leland Little Auctions, Fine & Decorative Arts, June 17, 2016, Lot 424

In the mid-nineteenth century, still life painting found a renewed interest among art collectors in the United States. Large and elaborate piles of ripe fruits and elegant tableware, rendered with a sense of texture, translucency, and vibrant color, reflected the 19th-century American fascination with abundance and prosperity. Influenced by European traditions, particularly the Dutch and Flemish still-life masters, Severin Roesen and other artists of the period, adapted these techniques to the American aesthetic.

Good condition, the canvas has been lined, with light retouching visible under UV light inspection.