Oil on canvas
Samuel Marsden Brookes (American, 1816-1892)
Signed lower left 'SM Brookes'
Dimensions: 14 x 10 in. (35.6 x 25.4 cm.)
Dimensions, framed: 19 x 14 1/2 x 2 in. (48.3 x 36.8 x 5.1 cm.)
Good condition

This painting is an example of trompe-l'œil, depicting hanging grapes on a vine with a grey background. Samuel Marsden Brookes rendered this work in meticulous detail, using contrasting colors between the green grapes, brown leaves, and grey background.

This oil on canvas is signed “SM Brookes” in the lower left and measures 14 x 10 inches.

Milky varnish under UV. Appears in basic good condition.

Samuel Marsden Brookes (American, 1816-1892)

Samuel Marsden Brookes was born in Middlesex, England. He immigrating with his family to the United States in 1833. He began his career in the Midwest as a portraitist, however after moving to California he gained national acclaim for his still life painting of fish, flowers, fruit, and birds. Considered to be the finest American still life painter of the 19th century, his works are revered as detailed and meticulously realistic. Brookes exhibited at the Mechanic’s Institution (1869, 1871), the Philadelphia Centennial Expo (1876), the California State Fair (1879-90), and California Midwinter International Expo (1894). His works are held in a variety of collections, including the De Young Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Crocker Museum, the Oakland Museum, and the Nevada Museum.