Les Oignons

19th-century oil on canvas mounted on wood panel, monogrammed “UI” lower right.

A quietly composed still life in brown and muted tones, presenting three onions arranged before a dark brown terracotta confit pot. Set against an organic, nearly uniform ground, the onions emerge through subtle shifts of light and shadow. Their silky root threads catch the light delicately.

The onions are rendered with careful realism. Papery skins fold and curl at the edges, while light enters from the side, striking the rounded body of the confit jar and releasing a soft sheen across its glazed surface.

The pairing feels distinctly French (even if the artist is English): the confit jar and the onion, long-standing staples of the provincial kitchen. The subject remains simple and elemental.

The accompanying frame, finished in a rosebud and leaf stucco pattern, provides a subtle decorative counterpoint to the painting’s rustic simplicity.

• Overall Size: 11" x 14.9" / 28.5cm x 38.5cm.
  
• Size without the frame: 9" x 12.9" / 23.5cm x 33cm. 
• Country of origin: England
• Signature: Yes, monogrammed UI lower right. 
  
• Creation date: Late 19th century. 
• Condition: The panel is in good condition overall, despite a few minor marks and traces. The frame has some losses in certain corners and a few small areas of missing gilding due to impacts. One section of gilding is also darkened on the upper left side of the inner horizontal molding.
• Materials: Oil on canvas mounted on wood panel, in an antique light wooden frame.  
• Shipped with DHL: Complimentary shipping to the US and Europe. A surcharge will be applied for deliveries to Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
• DDP shipping: All taxes and import fees are included in the listed price.