Apples

Albert Joseph Moore composed this Apples in 1875, showing two women reclining on a chaise longue in classical drapery. The cool palette of pale pinks, blues, and earth tones creates an atmosphere of tranquil elegance. The title refers to objects in the painting rather than any narrative meaning.

This was Moore's approach throughout his career: beauty for its own sake, without allegory or moral lesson. He painted three versions of this composition in 1875, varying the color schemes but keeping the design identical. Each measures 50.8 by 29.2 centimeters. His friend James McNeill Whistler shared similar views about art's purpose.

Moore belonged to the Aesthetic Movement, which flourished in Victorian Britain with the motto "art for art's sake." He began as a Pre-Raphaelite but shifted to Neo-Classical subjects in the 1860s. His detailed studies of drapery and color made him one of the movement's purest practitioners. This version remains in a private collection.