`Pumpkins'

November 25, 1987

Walt Kuhn (1877-1949) is described by William James Williams in ``A Heritage of American Paintings, from the National Gallery of Art,'' as ``a big, boisterous, raw-boned man [who] lived life to the hilt.'' In his early years Kuhn painted in Fauve and Expressionist styles. Still life was a common theme for later works like this one, and like this one these often have a C'ezannesque quality.

``Pumpkins'' has a feeling of harvest bounty. Its colors are glowing, autumnal: glorious yellow-orange and red-orange pumpkins, and yellow squashes, punctuated by gourds of dark bottle-green.

The colors stand out against the dark brown of the basket and are picked up again by the deep reddish apricot of the wall.