#10964 Rafael Zabaleta

The composition presents a still life arrangement rendered in a style characterized by fractured forms and a limited palette. A dark bottle stands prominently on the left side, its shape simplified into geometric planes that suggest volume rather than precise representation. Adjacent to it, a large earthenware vessel dominates the central space, its warm brown tones contrasting with the cooler hues of the surrounding objects.
A bowl filled with fruit occupies the foreground. The fruits – primarily green and yellow in color – are similarly abstracted, their forms broken down into facets that create a sense of dynamism and instability. A single piece of fruit rests outside the bowl on the draped cloth, further disrupting any sense of formal order.
The surface upon which these objects rest is a heavily textured tablecloth, rendered with broad strokes of blue, white, and gray. The folds and creases are emphasized through sharp contrasts in light and shadow, contributing to the overall feeling of fragmentation. A chair appears faintly in the background, its form indistinct and partially obscured by the other elements.
The artist’s use of color is restrained, relying primarily on earth tones and muted greens. This limited palette contributes to a somber mood, while the sharp angles and fractured forms create a sense of tension and visual complexity. The arrangement seems less concerned with depicting a realistic scene than with exploring the formal qualities of shape, line, and color.
Subtly, theres an implication of domesticity – the presence of tableware and fruit suggests a moment captured within a home setting. However, this familiarity is undermined by the artist’s deliberate distortion of perspective and form. The work seems to question traditional notions of representation, inviting viewers to consider the underlying structures that shape our perception of reality.