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Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose
Francisco de Zurbarán · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664)
- Date
- 1633
- Dimensions
- 62.2 x 109.5 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, United States
This still life shows three objects arranged in a row on a plain wooden table against a black background: a silver plate with four lemons, a wicker basket of oranges with orange blossoms and leaves, and a silver plate with a cup of water and a pink rose.
A closer look
The arrangement is extremely simple and symmetrical, and the strong light from the left makes each object stand out with sculptural clarity against the darkness. Every surface is painted with careful attention: the rough peel of the lemons, the glossy leaves, the gleam of the silver, the transparency of the water. The calm, almost ritual order has led many to see a religious meaning, perhaps an offering to the Virgin Mary, for whom the rose, the water and the orange blossom were traditional symbols of purity and love.