Lot 105 Dα

George Forster was born in Germany but immigrated to the US in 1865 or 1866, where he is documented in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This still life is dated 1862 and therefore must have been painted in Germany. It displays the characteristic pyramid composition style utilised by the artist, with grapes, peaches and other fruit piled high before a landscape background. The bird's nest is another of Forster's favourite motifs, but in this painting, the eggs have rolled out of the nest and lie broken. The composition is completed by the addition of a large dragonfly and a shimmering, metallic-green beetle.