William Mason Brown began his career by painting portraits while living in Troy, NY. In 1850 he moved to New Jersey and started painting landscapes. In the late 1850s after his move to Brooklyn, NY, he began working in the subject matter he would become most known for, still life.

Brown exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design between 1859 and 1891, and at the Brooklyn Art Association between 1865 and 1886. He submitted A Basket of Peaches Upset to the National Academy’s annual exhibition in 1865, and it was this work that first brought him recognition.

A Basket of Peaches Upset, 1865, is a still life set in an outdoor setting. Brown has painted each peach with distinct detail. The highlighted areas around the edges of the peaches create a soft “fuzz” texture which contrasts with the blades of grass and flowers, birch wood basket, and rocks.