A Fruit Piece - Richard Earlom

A detailed 1776 mezzotint engraving by Richard Earlom, depicting a bountiful still life of fruit and foliage after a painting by Michelangelo Campidoglio.

A Fruit Piece is a masterful mezzotint engraving by the British artist Richard Earlom, published in 1776. This work reproduces a painting by the Italian artist Michelangelo Pace, known as Campidoglio. The print forms part of the Houghton Gallery series, a project commissioned by John Boydell to document the collection of Sir Robert Walpole.

The composition presents a bountiful arrangement of produce set upon a stone ledge. A woven basket overflows with grapes, leaves, and various fruits, while additional clusters of grapes, apples, and gourds spill across the foreground. To the right, a weathered tree trunk provides a dark, textured contrast to the smooth surfaces of the fruit. A small lizard rests on the ledge, adding a touch of naturalistic detail common to the genre. The use of mezzotint allows for a wide range of tonal values, from the deep, velvety shadows behind the basket to the soft highlights on the rounded forms of the grapes and gourds.

Earlom demonstrates technical precision in his handling of light and texture. The interplay between the organic shapes of the fruit and the rigid, architectural elements of the stone ledge creates a balanced visual structure. The inclusion of a coat of arms and formal lettering at the base of the print reflects the conventions of eighteenth-century reproductive engraving. This piece offers a clear view into the aesthetic preferences of the period, where the reproduction of Old Master paintings allowed a wider audience to appreciate works held in private collections. The print remains a fine example of the skill required to translate the colour and depth of an oil painting into the monochromatic medium of the mezzotint.