William Joseph McCloskey, Oranges in Tissue Paper, ca. 1890, Oil on canvas, 10 x 17 in. (25.4 x 43.2 cm), M.H. de Young Museum Collection
Oranges had long been considered a precious luxury and were purchased in the Northeast at great expense. But by 1890, cultivation in Florida and California had reached a scale that allowed the exotic and visually impressive fruit to enter the homes of more modestly well-to-do citizens, where it became a symbol of status and hospitality. Artists were, of course, drawn to the chromatic intensity of the fruit, especially in contrast with the translucence of its inner segments, as seen in McCloskey’s treatment. The addition of the tissue paper in this picture gives the surfaces and tonalities another delicate element and is rooted in the actual practice of wrapping the fruit in this way before it was packed into boxes for interstate transport.
This painting is one the many stunning still-lifes featured in Boulevard Arts’ virtual reality experience: MH de Young Museum: Trick of the Eye: 19th-century American Still Life, available for download from the Oculus Store for use with Oculus Go and the Rift. And, don’t be surprised if you are tricked by how life-like these works appear!