'Still Life with Fruit and Pipe' by French Artist Quillien (1937)

'Still Life with Fruit and Pipe', oil on board, (1937) by French artist, Quillien. In 1928/29 Belgian surrealist, René Magritte, painted his famous image of a pipe with the words inscribed, "Ceci n'est pas une pipe.", French for "This is not a pipe." In Quillien's work dated 1937, the artist alluded to Magritte's pipe but included masterly representations of a lemon and two oranges next to a ceramic vase. It is significant to that thread and theme that the painting was executed in such a realistic style - visible images which conceal nothing. In comparison, many still lifes from the 17th and 18th centuries had a moralistic message, usually concerning the brevity of life – perhaps less obvious such as a half-peeled lemon (like life, sweet in appearance but bitter to taste). Flowers wilt and food decays, and silver is of no use to the soul. In this case, we only have an artist's name; his motivations therefore are a matter of speculation. Just ten years after Magritte, it may be an homage to his famous themed pipe painting. For the art viewer, this piece is an absolute delight, an impeccably executed work of art with depth, harmony and balance. Signed: 'Quillien 37'. A short video of the piece is available upon request. 

Dimensions with frame:

H 50 cm (19.7")

W  58 cm (22.8")

Dimensions without frame:

H 37 cm (14.6")

W 44.5 cm (17.5")