Eran Reshef (b. 1964)
Quince

Signed with initials and dated 20; also signed, titled in English and Hebrew and dated 2020 on the backing

Oil on wood
17 3/4 x 15 3/4 inches (45 x 40 cm)
Framed: 22 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches

Through his meticulous rendering of textures, glistening surfaces, imperfections, bruises, minute signs of aging marking the transitions of life, Eran Reshef's paintings attain an exceptional degree of intimacy with every-day objects from contemporary Israeli life.

The artist has described his work as follows:
"Although this painting can be looked at as a traditional still life painting, it exceeds the boundaries of tradition. The Quince is the subject matter of the work, but the painting is not a simple depiction of a piece of fruit. Like a little figurine, the quince carries a specific anatomy, as it rests on a floor and leans against the wall. Positioned in the center, the quince also acts as an eye of a gentle and quiet storm, engulfed by a rhythm of ornaments and colors, both from the floor tiles underneath it, and the wallpaper behind it. The latter, laced with majestic burgundy, transforms the brightly colored fruit into a jewel....

Photography is not part of the process, and there is no mediator between life and painting, other than the human gaze. More than that, each part of the painting: quince, floor and background is painted differently, making the painting, not an illustration of a scene, but an actual one".