Still Life: Basket of Apples, Pear, Walnuts and Knife

Léon Bonvin was born in 1834 in Vaugirard, near Paris. Though a gifted watercolorist, he remained largely overlooked by his contemporaries. Tragically, in 1866, at the age of 32, Bonvin took his own life, seemingly driven to despair by financial struggles. Working at his family's bar, or "cabaret," he painted in his spare time, and in the brief span between 1859 and his death, he produced a remarkable number of delicate still lifes of flowers and fruits, as well as atmospheric landscapes capturing fleeting moments of nature.

Despite his rural setting, Bonvin was not entirely disconnected from the Parisian art world. His half-brother, François Bonvin, was a more widely recognized artist, and Léon’s still lifes show the influence of Jean-Siméon Chardin, whose work experienced a resurgence in the 1850s and 1860s.

P.S. Have you seen our Weekly Desk Calendar for 2025? Let me tell you something about it; it's filled with classic paintings from all epochs and parts of the world with stories about them—just like the ones you read daily in the app! Here is a little sneak peek at the inside!  :) 

P.P.S. In art history, still lifes often carried a very complex, hidden meaning. Here's a small guide to still life symbols!