Still Life with Fruits

This is my still life painting with fruits based on a subject in my art studio (see picture on the bottom left). As part of my preparation, I went to the National Gallery of Art in the National Mall to study how the great masters painted grapes with drapery. Luckily I found a painting "Still Life with Grapes and Games" by Frans Snyders (see picture on the bottom right). I learned a great deal from this painting and applied it to my still life here. I also made some changes in my painting vis-à-vis the subject. For example, I painted an imaginary clock instead of the random objects in the background. George Raymond, the great esthetics theorist, argued that music is the harmony of sound and painting/sculpture are the harmony of sight. I listen to music all the time, especially the classical genre. I find similar joy and solace every time I paint. Maybe, we, as human beings, are naturally drawn to esthetic things that exhibit harmony. This disposition may suggest that we are born with a harmonious spirit that is naturally elevated whenever we encounter harmony in music, painting or sculpture. And, when that happens, we are truly joyful.  I hope my painting here incites that harmony in you too.