Fruit Still-life: Basket of Figs Harvested at Home
Two years and 7 1/2 feet later, the first fig tree I have ever planted has become such a plentiful producer that I couldn't help but share some new photographs of my most recent harvest.
These Brown Turkey figs were all gathered after two days and a hardy rain. Their deep purple hues are pearly and soft looking, streaking into a warm peachy-brown color and ending in a flicker of green. White sap bleeds from the freshly picked bulbs and their sweet fragrance wafts from their soft skins.
It is hard to dismiss the significance of the fig throughout history. So plentiful is the fig tree, and popular all across the world. It has fed people for millennia, could be such a staple fruit source that I now understand why it was called the poor man's fruit. Within the lapse of one month I was suddenly gathering handfuls of figs every day, and I only have one tree!
It is unlike any other fruit I can think of, and yet so familiar in global cultures as an archetype and symbol. It's recognizable form and bright red flesh is found and written about in many different civilizations and religions all across the world.
Whether it be represented in oil painting of the Renaissance, the walls of ancient Mediterranean homes, or in contemporary digital photographs, it pleases me to see the fig occur in the art of humankind. I'm glad to know that I can continue the tradition, paying homage to the small sweet things that bring us unrequited nourishment in life.