Still Life with Watermelons

Still life with Watermelons is a painting by South African artist Irma Stern (1894-1966). The work depicts a typical still life with a vase filled with bright red, pink and purple flowers, a draped tablecloth and freshly, sliced watermelons. The painting depicts Stern’s affection for the African summer by means of the chosen subject matter of seasonal fruits and flowers. Short Biography: Stern was born in Schweizer-Reneke in 1894 and grew to be one of South Africa's greatest Expressionist artists. Still life with watermelon was painted in 1949. The work was acquired for the University of Pretoria's art collection in 1965 from the Walter Schwitter Gallery in Pretoria. Stern received the Medal of Honor from the South African Academy of Science and Art in 1965. The artist became one of South Africa's most recognised female artist of the 20th century.