Still Life with Cake

The museum tentatively connects this picture with an 1819 Pennsylvania Academy exhibition. Its concentrated arrangement may reflect Peale’s study of Spanish still life. The early exhibition history remains uncertain, while the objects themselves invite unusually close attention.

Four wedges of pale cake sit on a plate. Cut faces reveal interior texture beside the outer surface.

A stemmed glass holds an amber drink. Transparent glass and liquid appear beside the solid cake.

Pale grapes hang over the table edge. The projecting bunch brings objects close to the viewer.

Dark dried fruit lies beside the cake. Small surface differences matter within the restrained selection of food.

Green leaves spread above the plate. They add thin, irregular edges to the rounded objects.

A signature and date run along the bottom. The artist’s inscription remains beside carefully described everyday food.

Raphaelle Peale belonged to a large artistic family and was among the first American still-life specialists. European models helped establish independent value for small paintings of ordinary things.