Late afternoon sun on the pear tree. The tree stands in the corner of the garden. Behind it grow comfrey, bramble and the thorny hedge. Ivy tops the fence. The tree leans left, counterbalanced by one right-arching branch. The leaves are coarse and glossy; the fruits are small and hard. They may be called 'conference' pears. Many fall like hard bullets before ripening. Shortly after painting, the shadow of the house crept across the tree, robbing it of colour. Its distinctive arabesque merged into the background shade. |