Cezanne painted his canvases meticulously with thin layers of translucent paint. This procedure allowed for quick drying and made almost intantaneous corrections of alterations possible. The surface of a canvas thus acquired a rich texture and a countless variety of color hues.
The lively colors of the bright reds and oranges of the fruit are schoed by the darker patterns of two draperies, one with square-red and dark-green patterns, the other of a beige-brown with floral motifs. This color symphony is balanced by the carefully arranged white tablecloth, the bowls, and the flowered pitcher, all of which serve as a foil for the main motif. The spatial arrangement of the table, whose left leg appears to rest on the dark-green sofa, is somewhat arbitrary.
