Nectarines

Ehret was known for his ability to combine accurate depictions of the parts of a plant, necessary for identification, with a highly artistic sense of design, talents revealed in this unfinished sketch of nectarines. The artist has placed the fruit close to the viewer, focusing attention on the deep red skin. Delicate strokes of varying red tones combine with yellows, oranges, and greens, mottled to mimic the skin’s luscious texture. Ehret has drawn a branch with two nectarines growing opposite each other, allowing him to portray both the dimpled bottom of the fruit and the top where the stem attaches to the tree (2022).