CURRIER, Nathaniel (1813-1888) and IVES, James Merritt (1824-1895).Autumn Fruits.Lithograph with original hand color.New York: Currier & Ives, 1861.14 1/2" x 18 1/4" visible, 15" x 29 1/4" framed.Gale Number: 0345-0346.Comparable: Northeast, 2017 - $900.The luscious depiction of full grapes, rosy peaches and succulent melons in Currier and Ives' Autumn Fruits represents a striking example of a popular genre which reminded Americans of the produce of their rural childhoods. While the majority of Americans had grown up in agricultural communities, the population of the country's cities had grown dramatically, the populace of New York tripling between the years 1849 and 1870. The stresses of urban life gave rise to a nostalgia for the rural idyll and the importance of home life became the topic of several loterary works. The lyrics of John Howard Payne's, "Home, Sweet Home" rang true for many and was reflected in an increasing interest in home decoration as the century progressed. Magazines, such as Godey's Lady's Book (180) and the Ladies's Home Journal (1883) fanned the desire and Currier & Ives produced more than two hundred decorative compositions of fruit and flowers to meet such demands. In the lithograph of Autumn Fruits the compact arrangement of fruit is crowned by the turning leaves of the Fall. The golden color of the leaves is echoed in the bottom of the composition by the peaches and pear which gives balance to the print's overall conception. The black grapes cascade over the cut watermelon to unite the whole.