The authorship of one of the most prominent artworks exhibited in the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens belongs to Severin Roesen who is considered to be a well-known painter of the 19th century. The work under analysis is called Still Life with Flowers, Fruit, and Bird’s Nest. The realistic style of the paintings is characteristic for this artist. Though Roesen was born in Germany, all his works were devoted to the American Art Union. The work was created in 1865 and refers to the most significant works of the century.
Still, Life with Flowers, Fruit, and Bird’s Nest is a combination of bright colors. Still one can notice that warm colors prevail in the picture which helps to underline the positive and favorable mood of the picture. To show the liveliness of the picture the author showed chaotic usage of lines, both horizontal and vertical. One can see the dominance of rounded objects in the picture in order to illustrate natural objects.
The painting under consideration abounds in still life features which make it luxurious and wealthy. The painting presents oil on canvas work with naturalistic proportions of objects. All individual elements of the painting are in proper scale to each other. The author illustrated his still-life elements in light bright tones, though one can see some darkness at both sides of the picture. This dark lightness stresses and outlines the importance of centered objects of the painting. Roesen managed to show real texture in his picture and it makes everyone feel it and be completely involved in its deep sense.
All the elements of the painting are symbols of life. Flowers and fruit may symbolize prosperity and the future blooming of objects. On the example of a bird’s nest, the author wanted to highlight the symbol of new life. Roesen reflected the influence of the 19th-century art system of America. He paid attention to the precise arrangement of the picture objects and this arrangement was changed from picture to picture. The art of the 19th century reflected the liveliness and still-life pictures in the work of the author.
Still, Life with Flowers, Fruit, and Bird’s Nest is a painting that is worthy to be bought whatever the cost. It expresses the deepness of 19th-century art and underlines the main features of the artist’s techniques. The most important feature of the painting is its liveliness and brightness which is common for Severin Roesen. To my way of thinking the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is really decorated by this painting as it impresses deeply by its natural character. The combination of flowers and fruit together with the bird’s nest underlines the presence of life in the works of the artists of the 19th century.
The total experience in the museum showed that the works of the most prominent painters can really transfer a person to another period of time and disclose all the peculiarities of that epoch. It is important to stress that the presence of such pictures in everyday life of people can bring spiritual wealth and widening of the world look of the population. Though the price of the pictures is too high, one can admire the masterpieces of art visiting such wonderful museums as Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. If I had enough means I would definitely buy the painting of Severin Roesen Still Life with Flowers, Fruit, and Bird’s Nest.