In Paris, Van Gogh creates a series of still lifes with fruit, when writing which he perfected his vision of color and tried to convey it as completely and cleanly as possible. In this work he places apples of red and yellow shades against the background of blue drapery, which can be seen in other works of the artist of this time. Here the focus of the painter’s attention is the contrast of warm and cold colors, which makes all the colors even brighter and juicier.
Using long strokes of pasty paint, the artist denotes and emphasizes the shapes of objects, in particular the folds of the drapery. Van Gogh finds on the fabric one after another all the shades of blue, and strengthens them to such an extent that the main color is lost, and instead of it, completely different colors appear. The surface of the tissue begins to consist of a multitude of reflections of the colors of the objects surrounding it – from light shades of the sky and sun to the rich colors of apples lying on it. Thanks to this, as well as due to the dynamicity of the smears, the drapery acquires a resemblance to the sea waves.
Red-yellow apples blend harmoniously into this color variety, but at the same time stand out clearly on it due to contrast with blue. A deep dark shadow makes the stain of apples integral, while at the same time giving them a volume and shading the natural light, which flares brightly on the surface of the fruit. In this still life, the graphic abilities of Van Gogh and the sudden bright gift of the painter were fully revealed.
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