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Still life in a landscape (watermelon)
Oil on canvas, 72.2 x 108.8 cm, by Tomás Yepes, c. 1650–60
BBVA collection
 

A companion to Still Life in Landscape (Pomegranates), this work symbolises the redemption of souls through a complex arrangement of symbolic elements. Adam and Eve are represented by the fruits on the left, whose original sin condemns humanity, while the thorny branches and vine on either side signify Christ’s Passion and the salvation it brings. The inclusion of watermelon and corn—uncommon in Spanish still lifes until the 16th century—illustrates the fertile and prosperous New Church founded by Jesus, contrasted with the fallen fig branch that represents the synagogue. Its background landscape is more prominent than in the companion work, featuring an architectural style inspired by Neapolitan painting that influenced 18th-century Valencian still lifes.