What is Royal Worcester “Painted Fruit,” and who started the style?

Royal Worcester’s “painted fruit” is a famous style of realistic fruit paintings used on plates, plaques and displays. The Royal Worcester Museum highlights a painted fruit plate by Octar Copson and claims that Copson was the first to paint in this famous style, depicting life-sized, tangible fruit with natural flaws. The museum’s collection notes add that painted fruit on mossy backgrounds and locally grown soft fruit were firmly established by the 1920s. These works often attract collectors for their realism, fine shading and meticulous gilding. If you are evaluating a painting, examine its depth, convincing highlights and carefully selected edges of leaves and stems, then make sure the mark matches the likely date.