Hummingbird and Apple Blossoms
Martin Johnson Heade American
Heade, an ardent devotee of natural history, gave equal attention to landscape and still life throughout his career. He first painted apple blossoms around 1865, when he included them in his extensive series of works featuring hummingbirds in a variety of habitats. In this example, the hummingbird is perched on a lower branch and silhouetted against the sky, as recommended to painters by the English critic John Ruskin. The blossoms, freshly studied from nature, appear especially light and airy against the thick storm clouds.
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