Garden Variations, Orange and Yellow

1977

Garden Variations, Orange and Yellow, 1977. Joseph O'Sickey (American, 1918–2013). Oil on canvas; overall: 152.4 x 177.8 cm (60 x 70 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift 2020.171 Joseph O’Sickey’s most celebrated canvases, such as Garden Variations: Orange and Yellow, are hybrid still life and landscape subjects that he arranged and painted in his backyard. A frequent motif in this body of work is a cloth-covered table prepared for entertainment that takes center stage. Here, the table displays a bowl of fruit, vases of flowers, and bottled beverages. As this painting’s title suggests, bold color is a prominent compositional feature, creating a festive feeling appropriate for an informal outdoor gathering. As a child, O’Sickey attended Saturday classes in illustration here at the Cleveland Museum of Art.