Satsuma – Eric Wert

I am not the biggest fan of still life.  It is usually some chintzy flowers in a Royal Doulton vase, or some lack lustre fish in a bowl.  The pallet is usually dim and the backgrounds feel musty, just making the whole picture look as though it belongs in your great aunt Mildred’s house which hasn’t been dusted in the last 50 years.

Eric Wert is converting me though.  His work is vibrant and exudes life.  I happily stumbled upon his work while looking for something to inspire me, and how can you not be inspired by this brightly coloured rendition of satsumas?

There is no symbolism to tell you about, or background story – I know unusual for me, as I do love art with a background, but the detail that Wert presents is just beautiful.  The contrasting colours of the dark, decorated background to the vivid fruit in the bowl almost jumps out to the viewer.

Even down to the reflections on the highly polished table surface, just makes this painting picture perfect.  I love the definition in the satsuma segments and the detail in the pitted skin.

Wert is an American artist, who started as a scientific illustrator, which isn’t surprising when you see the detail that he gets into his work.

Other items of Wert’s work show vases of flowers, but with the flowers entered in to the vase upside down causing the petals to scatter and fill the bowl of the vase, or are super realistic fish on a plate on top of lace.  His still life work, while paying homage to the tradition, has a certain sense of humour and understanding that still life needed to move on and become something more than dull works that people tend to walk past.

If you are interested in viewing more of Wert’s work (that is harder to say than to type), you can view it here.

What do you think of Satsuma?  Why not tell me in the comments?  Like this post?  Why not share it?