by béatrice bergemont
Watercolor
h: 31 w: 27 d: 1 (cms).
The pomme d’Api is one of the oldest varieties of apples, said to date from Roman times. Some researchers contend that Appius Claudius, the Roman censor who built the Appian Way in the third century BCE, brought the apple to France. But most French botanists believe it originated in the ancient Forest of Api in Brittany. It is a small “winter” apple and when fully ripe has bright red cheeks on a pale green-yellow background. This apple ripens in November, keeps well even at room temperature, and is often used for Christmas decorations. A fancy dessert apple, it is highly aromatic and makes delicious cider. Back in time, the ladies of the king’s court would carry the small apple in their purses for use as a breath freshener. In fall 2024, I had the opportunity to get some cuttings from a pomme d’Api tree in an heirloom apple orchard in Nova Scotia, Canada. I was very excited to illustrate this variety of apple, and combine the different elements to create a pleasing composition.
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