Quinces & Egg Fruit 1964

Gregoire Boonzaier made ‘Quinces & Egg Fruit’ in 1934, using oil paint on canvas. The thick impasto of the paint creates a tactile surface, almost as if you could reach out and touch the fruit. Notice how the brushstrokes follow the forms of the quinces and egg fruit, adding to the sense of volume and weight. Oil paint, traditionally associated with high art, allowed Boonzaier to capture the subtle gradations of color and texture in the fruit. The visible brushwork shows the artist’s hand, a direct connection between the maker and the artwork. But this wasn't just a technical exercise; the choice of subject matter speaks to the everyday. By elevating humble fruits to the status of art, Boonzaier challenges our assumptions about what is worthy of artistic attention. Ultimately, it is through material, making, and context that we fully understand an artwork.