Quinces

A cluster of golden quinces dangles from a length of string, their plump forms glowing warmly against a soft cream backdrop. Raquel Alvarez Sardina painted this piece in 2010, drawing on a realist tradition that echoes the hushed still lifes of old Spanish masters. Rough brown branches and deep green leaves frame the fruit, some of the foliage marked with brown spots and small tears. Tucked in the bottom corner sits the artist's red monogram, a quiet signature on a quiet scene.

Quinces make for a curious subject. Hard and tart, they are almost never eaten raw, but people have long treasured them for jams and preserves, and Mediterranean traditions tie them to love and fertility. Sardina, a Spanish painter trained in classical methods, has a fondness for humble things that reward patient attention. Rather than arranging the fruit in a bowl, she lets it hang freely, drawing your eye to the little dents, the bruised leaves, and the plain honesty of fruit as it truly grows.