Intimate Still Life with Eggs and Radishes by Paul Gagneux Dated 1890 - 15¾" - 15¾"

A quietly poetic still life in oil on canvas, signed by Paul Gagneux and dated 1890. The composition depicts a simple tabletop arrangement: a shallow metal pan holding two eggs, a glass filled with a warm golden drink, a deep red glazed jug, and a bunch of freshly cut radishes laid casually across the surface. The radishes' vivid pink skins and crisp green tops introduce a note of immediacy and freshness so palpable they seem almost ready to be tasted. Subtle reflections shimmer across the glossy glaze of the jug and within the amber liquid of the glass, animating the scene and lending it a quiet sense of life and warmth. Set against a dark, atmospheric ground, soft light pools across the metal pan and glowing yolks, creating a luminous contrast that evokes an intimate moment of everyday domestic ritual. The surface shows gentle age with scattered craquelure and a few small marks, while the colors remain rich and well preserved. The giltwood frame retains a pleasing timeworn patina, with rubbing and minor nicks that complement the painting’s period character.

Paul Gagneux (1857–1892) was a French painter born in Tours, where he began his artistic training before exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salons from the late 1870s until his early death. A member of the Société des Artistes Français, he was known for still lifes, landscapes, and genre scenes distinguished by careful draftsmanship, subtle handling of light, and an understated realism. Although his career was brief, Gagneux earned recognition among collectors of late 19th-century French painting, and his works continue to be admired for their quiet sensitivity and refined observation of everyday life.

This painting brings a sense of quiet domestic ease to an interior. It would be especially well suited to a kitchen, breakfast nook, or dining room, where its warm palette and gentle reflections can converse naturally with copper, stoneware, and linen. Hung above a console or sideboard, the work’s intimate scale and mellow frame lend a welcoming presence, celebrating the poetry of simple pleasures and the tactile appeal of humble, well-chosen objects.

Condition and patina consistent with age.
Approx. overall 15¾" high x 19" wide x 1½" thick
Approx. overall 40cm high x 48cm wide x 4cm thick