Quinces, lemons, pears and grapes

Golden light seems to pour over this pile of fruit, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1887. Quinces, lemons, pears, and bunches of grapes tumble across a table, all rendered in warm yellows and soft greens that almost blend into one shimmering surface. Van Gogh worked with quick, restless brushstrokes, and if you follow the marks you can trace the movement of his hand across the canvas. Down in the bottom left he signed his name proudly and added a dedication to his brother Theo, the loyal supporter who stood by him through years of struggle.

The painting dates from Van Gogh's stay in Paris, a time that changed everything for him. Meeting the Impressionists and other young artists opened his eyes to color, and he began trading the dark, muddy tones of his earlier Dutch work for something far brighter. This glowing yellow palette points ahead to the blazing sunflowers and wheat fields he would paint later in the south of France. The subject itself is humble, just fruit on a table, but the real interest lies in watching an artist figure out who he wanted to be.