A Pomegranate, Siena

George Henry Hall was considered a “master of fruit, vegetable and flower still-life painting”, although that’s not all he painted. Here’s a selection of some of his works.

A Pomegranate, Siena is a beautiful example of the artist’s renowned realism. The shape, light and textures are such that you feel you could reach out and touch the pomegranate. The seeds glisten. The artist was well-travelled, and I believe the Siena here refers to the town in Italy.

Pomegranates are usually seen as symbolic of fertility and abundance. But, they are also seen as representing a duality – between fertility and abundance, and the exact opposite.

I thought this pomegranate, while beautiful, photographically realistic, and shiny, also looked vulnerable and exposed.

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