This is a large, mid 19th century American School Folk Art, fruit still-life painting with a glass compote. I believe it is a thorem painting, but it’s more elaborate than most examples. Theorem painting originated in Europe and was popular here is a craft for young women in American finishing schools in the 1800s. It involves applying paint through stencils to create a design — usually a still life. This painting is with watercolors and shows a great deal of sophistication in its technique and design. The use of stencils is indicated by the clean outlines of the objects and the way they are arranged. McGrath added small details to the fruits and nuts and included a glass compote with nice highlights. A table top is also suggested rather than leaving the hole design floating in space. In all, this is a really fine example of 19th century folk art. The framing was done in the late 20th century, but the glass is antique– heavy and wavy, suggesting that this was a family heirloom, cleaned up for display. The framer “The Cove” is no longer in business here in Richmond. FRAME: 15.75×30 weighs 6.3 lbs.
