Robert Spear Dunning was a founder in Massachusetts of the Fall River School*, which emphasized still life paintings. He painted portraits and landscapes, but in 1865, his interest turned to still-life painting, which brought him notice and critical acclaim.

His highly realistic or "trompe l'oeil"* paintings usually had one or more prominent large objects such as a silver pitcher with luscious looking fruit on a highly polished table. His early work was dark in color and tone, and later ones were luminous*.

Born in 1829 in Brunswick, Maine, Dunning was brought to Fall River, a wealthy mill town, at age five and educated in the public schools. He became an art student of James Roberts, and then foll...