Derain - Pear and Jug

Derain's Pear and Jug reads less like a finished painting than a quick sketch. The canvas is smaller than much of his other work, yet in just a handful of brushstrokes he conjures a scene full of life—a true mark of a master. Where light falls, he laid down broad, thick strokes of yellow; the shadows are rendered in bold black lines.

His touch with everyday objects is just as assured. The jug's handle is captured in a single, confident stroke, and a single yellow pass over the green pear gives it a fresh, just-picked quality. It looks effortless, but this kind of economy is only possible with real mastery—a simple sketch, unmistakably Derain's.