Still Life With Plantains and Bananas by Francisco Oller (Interpretation and Analysis)

Still Life With Plantains and Bananas
Source: WikiArt

It’s been a while since I’ve discussed a still life painting on this blog, so today I want to talk about a painting that I personally find to be very calming, Still Life With Plantains and Bananas by Francisco Oller. As I’ve said before, still life paintings are often seen as boring or devoid of meaning by casual viewers of art. However, in truth, they often contain multiple levels of rich symbolism and meaning.

As I’ve mentioned before, Oller—an impressionist who studied in France—is perhaps the most famous and celebrated of all Puerto Rican painters. Oller was particularly dedicated to causes of social justice, and his work celebrates the lives of everyday Puerto Rican, portraying their struggles with nuance and compassion.

This is the underlying theme of Still Life With Plantains and Bananas, even though it doesn’t actually contain any representations of people. Plantains and bananas—the subjects of the painting—are traditional staples of Puerto Rican food. During Oller’s time, these foods were particularly associated with rural, low-income people. Because plantains and bananas were cheap and readily available (you’ll notice that banana plants literally grow like weeds if you ever visit Puerto Rico), they were especially attached to the jíbaro (country people who live off the land) way of life. In her famous novel When I Was Puerto Rican, writer Esmeralda Santiago notes “a jíbaro can never wash away the stain of the plantain,” underlining the social stigma and derision that jíbaros often faced.

Oller’s choice to portray these foods can be seen as a social and political statement. Still Life With Plantains and Bananas is a subtle way to signal his support and respect for agricultural workers and everyday Puerto Ricans more generally. His decision to paint distinctly Puerto Rican items also speaks to his own pride in his homeland and heritage. Before the 19th century, art in Puerto Rico was inspired by trends in European painting (aside from folk art, of course). Puerto Rican painters like José Campeche—who is often considered the father of Puerto Rican art and is one of the most famous artists from the island—created work that was distinctly European in character. His work contained traditionally European furnishings and plants, while his subjects dressed in European clothing. On the other hand, Oller’s work is unabashedly Puerto Rican, highlighting the natural beauty of the island and offering a realistic view of life for ordinary Puerto Ricans.

Oller’s compositional choices add an extra dimension to the painting. His placement of the bananas and plantains add a sense of visual dynamism to the piece, creating an impression of energy that reflects the vitality of a living, growing plant and Puerto Rico’s agricultural abundance.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.