Robert Spear Dunning was a founder in Massachusetts of the Fall River School*, which emphasized still life paintings. He painted portraits and landscapes, but in 1865, his interest turned to still-life painting, which brought him notice and critical acclaim.
His highly realistic or "trompe l'oeil"* paintings usually had one or more prominent large objects such as a silver pitcher with luscious looking fruit on a highly polished table. His early work was dark in color and tone, and later ones were luminous*.