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Meléndez Paints Oranges and Entropy

The Getty Museum has put on view Luis Meléndez's Oranges, Nuts, Spices, Boxes of Sweetmeats, a Jug, and a Cask on a Table (1760s), a loan from the Frederick Iseman Art Trust. It was auctioned by Christies in 2012.

The Norton Simon Museum's great Zurbarán still-life, also involving oranges, is symmetrical, mystical, and eternal. The Meléndez is the opposite: crowded, chaotic, worn, flawed. Still lifes speak of passing time, and for Meléndez time has run out.
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Anonymous said…
That work looks like it was cropped by accident. Why the artist didn't want his image to breathe a bit is puzzling. He's like a mathematician who makes a mistake of thinking 2 + 2 = 5.
April 18, 2018 at 5:43 PM
Luce said…
.........last time I looked with my painting class - the Norton Simon's Zubaran still life - is three lemons, not three oranges. Great, great painting. .....and I completely agree with your main point that the Zubaran is Spanish mysticism at it's best.
April 18, 2018 at 8:21 PM
William Poundstone said…
The Zurburán has both lemons and oranges (according to the NSM's title). The "lemons" are believed by some to be citrons, a related fruit that can look like a large lemon.
April 19, 2018 at 7:30 AM
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