19th Century Oliver Clare Still Life Oil Painting on Board of Fruit and Grapes

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Antique 19th c. still life oil painting by Oliver Clare. Excellent condition and beautiful period frame.

CLARE, OLIVER (English, 1853-1927)
… Read more Antique 19th c. still life oil painting by Oliver Clare. Excellent condition and beautiful period frame.

CLARE, OLIVER (English, 1853-1927)
"Still Life with Fruit."
Signed lower right
Oil on board, 9" x 6 5/8" (sight); 13 1/4 " x 11 1/4" (framed).
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The Clare family were Victorian artists who specialized in, and became famous for, their highly finished and precisely detailed fruit and flower paintings. The family consisted of George (1853-1900) and his three sons: David (born 1870), Oliver (1853-1927), and Vincent (1855-1930). All except David were artists.

Oliver was born in 1853 and spent most of his artistic life in Birmingham. Though there are no records as to where he received his training, it is almost certain that he learned his craft from his father, as their styles, choice of subjects, and manners of composition are similar.

Oliver was noted for his highly finished and detailed paintings of fruit and flowers. His paintings demonstrate considerable skill in capturing the textures of fruit, especially grapes, plums, peaches, and berries. Clare's subjects are often set against mossy backgrounds, producing a more informal composition than many of his contemporaries.

He worked mostly in Birmingham, exhibiting with the Royal Society of Artists there. He also lived in London in the late 1870s and the early 1880s. During this period he exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Manchester City Art Gallery, the Royal Academy, and the Royal Society of British Artists (London). See less