Two Pears

The classic painting, Two Pears, by 19th century artist Edouard Manet illustrates the intercut technique used to illustrate the detail and form of still life pieces.

Manet was a prominent artist during his time, paving the way as the forefather of impressionism. Two Pears was painted in 1864, showcasing the artist’s signature style. The artist was one of the first creative individuals to at his time to pivot the transformation from realism to impressionism. Manet’s master works showcase modernism through different forms in art, illustrating an array of pieces the author painted. Edouard Manet’s painting, Two Pears, showcases an array of shades to illustrate the piece. The right pair is coloured in a yellow tone, transitioning into a bright green. The two colours together are used as a shade and light dynamic, as the yellow highlights the skin of the pear and the green contoured the sides to show its form. The structure of the pear carries the traditional shape, and is textured based on Manet’s brush strokes.

Manet incorporated quick small brush strokes, towards a more modernist approach, while still illustration the texture of the pear. The pattern of the brush creates small circular motions to accentuate the different textured area, while showcasing sheen. The pear on the left, is based on an alter colour palette, based on a light yellow. The different colours seem to illustrate the two different varieties of pear. The lighter yellow is accompanied by a nude orange shade to contour the surrounding edges of the fruit. Together the light yellow and nude orange create a textured fruit. Both fruits have a similar brown stem at the top, highlighted to show the source of light. Alongside, both fruits have a dark base, illustrating a shadow under the fruit.

The background of the painting is based on a modernist technique, using two different shades to accentuate the pear. On the topside of the painting, the background is a dark brown, similar to a chocolate colour. The texture is diverse in different area, creating vertical spots of shade. The bottom side on the painting seems to illustrate a table, coloured in a nude brown colour. The brush strokes for the bottom side of the painting is horizontal, illustrating the form of a table, where as the top is a flat viewpoint. The background of the painting carries deep colours, used to accentuate the two pears located in the middle of the piece. The still life painting of Two Pears, is a classic painting by the painted, incorporating both techniques of impressionism and realism.