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Notes
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A wicker basket is piled high with fresh lemons, seemingly just picked from a tree, their leaves still attached. Sprigs of flowers -- lemon blossom, red carnations, blue delphiniums, white roses, day lilies and a tulip -- are scattered throughout the composition.A goldfinch perches on the edge of a delicate porcelain bowl filled with water, and a single lily floats on the surface. These are almost certainly intended to be symbolic: the water and lily refer to the purity of the Virgin Mary, and the goldfinch is often associated with Christ’s Passion (his torture and crucifixion) and sacrifice.This is one of a dozen or so surviving paintings by Juan de Zurbarán, son of the celebrated painter Francisco de Zurbarán. Juan delights in conveying the texture of each object -- coarse lemon rind, waxy leaves, the reflective surface of the silver tazza.
Title
Still Life with Lemons in a Wicker Basket
Date
c.1643–1649
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 81.4 x W 108.5 cm
Accession number
NG6669
Acquisition method
purchased with the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery and the National Gallery Trust, 2017
Work type
Painting
