Still Life with Wine, Cake, and Nuts

Like a music box, this painting is a little universe unto itself. The scene is decadent but spare. An iced Queen’s cake has been sliced and falls open on a plate. A bagel tilts against the gleaming rim of a plate, on a tabletop arrayed with grapes, nuts, and a single glass of wine. Behind it all, a strangely animate plant springs forth from a shadowy background. Although it does not depict a dramatic scene from history, this still life contains its own drama: between indulgence and moderation, between fullness and emptiness.

Born into a family of artists, Raphaelle Peale was one of the first American artists to specialize in still life, at a time when portraiture and history painting were seen as more worthwhile pursuits. His still life painting—mysterious and self-contained—is a quiet act of rebellion.