“Stop and observe the luminous glow of these quinces. This painting captures the simple beauty of everyday objects, rendered with a vibrant palette that hints at the artist's evolving style.”
In this still life, a cluster of golden quinces rests on a simple surface, bathed in a soft, diffused light. The fruit, with its slightly fuzzy skin and irregular shapes, is rendered in rich, warm tones of yellow and orange, hinting at ripeness and natural texture. The background is a muted, almost indistinct field of color, allowing the quinces to command full attention and creating a sense of quiet intimacy. This painting, made in 1887, belongs to a period when the artist was experimenting with brighter palettes and a more expressive touch, moving away from the darker, earthy tones of his earlier Dutch works towards the vibrant colors that would characterize his later output. It is a testament to his keen observation of everyday objects, transforming a humble arrangement into a study of light, form, and color.
- Artist
- Vincent van Gogh
- Date
- 1887
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The subtle fuzziness on the skin of the quinces, catching the light.
The way the light creates soft shadows, giving the fruit volume.
The warm, golden-yellow hues of the quinces against the cooler background.
The painterly brushstrokes that give texture to both fruit and surface.
Stand in front of it and listen
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Vincent van Gogh
1853–1890 · Kingdom of the NetherlandsVincent van Gogh, whose vibrant brushwork and bold colors transformed landscapes and portraits, created 2,100 artworks in just over a decade.
Further Works by van Gogh
Olive Trees
1853 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
A Peasant Woman Digging in Front of Her Cottage
1880 · Art Institute of Chicago
Still Life with Clogs
1881 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Cart with Black Ox
1884 · Portland Art Museum
Cart with Red and White Ox
1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Still Life with Pots, Jar and Bottles
1884 · Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Head of a Peasant Woman with Green Shawl
1885 · Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
The Potato Peeler (reverse: Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat)
1885 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More from Expressionism
More works to explore
Beyond van Gogh and Expressionism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Still Life with Quinces belongs to.
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
The Seine at Pont de Grenelle
Paul Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Carmelina
Henri Matisse · 1903 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
The Old Guitarist
Pablo Picasso · 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat
Paul Cézanne · 1870 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Two Tahitian Women in a Landscape
Paul Gauguin · 1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Cows Drinking at a Pool
William Hart · 1886 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne · 1888 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Rocks at Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île
Claude Monet · 1886 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Forêt de Compiègne
Berthe Morisot · 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Studies of Pierre Renoir; His Mother, Aline Charigot; Nudes; and Landscape
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Sick Child
Edvard Munch · 1885 · National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design




