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Notes
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A wicker basket is piled high with fresh lemons, seemingly just picked from a tree, their leaves still attached. Sprigs of flowers – lemon blossom, red carnations, blue delphiniums, white roses, day lilies and a tulip – are scattered throughout the composition. A goldfinch perches on the edge of a delicate porcelain bowl filled with water, and a single lily floats on the surface. These are almost certainly intended to be symbolic: the water and lily refer to the purity of the Virgin Mary, and the goldfinch is often associated with Christ’s Passion (his torture and crucifixion) and sacrifice. This is one of a dozen or so surviving paintings by Juan de Zurbarán, son of the celebrated painter Francisco de Zurbarán. Juan delights in conveying the texture of each object – coarse lemon rind, waxy leaves, the reflective surface of the silver tazza.
Title
Still Life with Lemons in a Wicker Basket
Date
c.1643–1649
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 81.4 x W 108.5 cm
Accession number
NG6669
Acquisition method
purchased with the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery and the National Gallery Trust, 2017
Work type
Painting
