Joseph Henry Byard, Abundant Still Life With Fruit

Joseph Henry Byard, Abundant Still Life With FruitA sumptuous Victorian still life with an array of fruit by Derbyshire painter, Joseph Henry Byard (1869 1937). Its rendered beautifully and represents a familiar snippet of the British countryside. What do you see here? Grapes, plums, apples? What else? Its interesting that Byard has chosen to include some deficiencies in the fruit for example, the marks on the apple and the decaying leaves. Often, artists would include decay as a commentary on the

She’s dressed in a highly fashionable black frilly blouse

9½” x 11¾” / 24cm x 30cm

It evokes the sounds of running water cascading over slippery rocks and the gentle melody of birdsong

The artwork itself is in fairly good condition given its age

The Cubist movement of the early-20th-century was revolutionary in its approach

His works often depict pastoral scenes and he was particularly adept at depicting cattle

The technique dates back to at least the 14th-century and it was particularly popular for frescos

You can imagine leaning on the railings as a breeze passes along the water’s edge

Harold Lapham (1877-1919)

and this piece fits within that oeuvre

Note also the composition

Perhaps to differentiate himself