Les Fruits

A 19th-century oil painting on canvas marouflaged on hard carton from the atelier of the Normandy painter Emile Tremblay (1855-1935). The piece is monogrammed in the lower right corner and features the atelier's stamp on the reverse.

A lovely and unique small scale still life. At first glance, the scene seems quite simple with the knife balancing on the soft apricots. On closer inspection, the detail is impressive. The knife handle details are exquisite and appear to be silver and a bone or abalone. The knife itself reflects the underside of one apricot. The cherry in front of the glass tray picks up light and glows. 

Emile Tremblay is an artist with no available biography online. However, through extensive research of old archives and letters, we have uncovered some context about his closest associates. Emile had a brother, Louis Tremblay, who was a published poet, author, and painter. Emile was also a dear friend of the famous Swedish artist, art critic, and museum manager Richard Bergh (1858-1919), to whom he inscribed a painting with the dedication, "To my brother Bergh." The remainder of what we know about Emile Tremblay comes solely from his exquisite atelier works.

• Overall Size: 5.1" x 9.8" / 13.5cm x 25cm.
  
• Country: France.
  
• Provenance: Atelier Tremblay (Normandy). 
• Signed: The artwork bears the workshop stamp on the reverse side. 
• Date: Late 19th century or Early 20th century.
• Materials: Oil on hard carton. 
• Texture: The surface of the piece presents a slight texture to the touch. 
• Condition: The painting has some marks and small scratches on it's surface and small gaps in the corners. 
  
• Shipping: This painting includes free shipping. An additional fee is applied for Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.