Joseph Decker (1853-1924)

Joseph Decker, whose work ranks among the finest American still-lifes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, captured the simplest objects with sincerity and profoundness.

According to William H. Gerdts, "[A] characteristic in Decker's late still lifes is his preference for small and humble subjects. While a few of these late pictures continue his investigation of the peach, and even melons occasionally appear, for the most part the fruit he chose to display are small: grapes, cherries, plums, gooseberries and especially strawberries, which he investigated numerous times, obviously enjoying the pulpy forms as well as the bright, ripe red color." (Coe Kerr Gallery, Joseph Decker (1853-1924): Still Lifes, Landscapes and Images of Youth, New York, 1988, n.p.)

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Pre-Lot Text

Property from the Samuel B. and Marion W. Lawrence Collection