Antoine Vollon may have been everyone’s best pal, but his paintings arguably got a little more recognition than they deserved.

A simple pumpkin still life of Vollon’s was launched into fame when critics called the squash of the hour “a portly potentate,” “a ball of fire flaming,” and “an Indian rajah among pumpkins.” Admittedly pleasant and reminiscent of Halloween, the pumpkin of Courge may disappoint modern audiences due to a distinct lack of royalty and flaming explosions. Perhaps the extreme praise Vollon received in life from Parisian critics explains his descent into relative obscurity after death.

Vollon worked in everyone’s favorite color palette, that delightful mix of brown, black, and dull greens and oranges that screams “life of the party.” Mr. Popular of the Parisian art scene, Vollon was friends with artists like Honoré Daumier and Alexandre Dumas. Even nice guys have a couple enemies, and Édouard Manet was the Draco to Vollon’s Harry Potter. Manet was apparently unimpressed by Vollon’s muddy brown landscapes and passionate squashes. In response to Vollon’s depiction of a woman with a basket, he scornfully said, “Bah! What is Vollon’s Femme? A basket that walks.” While rather insensitive to the young lady pictured and to our artistic hero himself, Manet’s snobbish criticism successfully tarnished Vollon’s figure painting reputation. Whatever you say, Manet. We all know your fruit still lifes can’t hold a candle to Vollon’s legendary pumpkin.

Vollon was a delightful artist known for his timidity and kindness. Too popular for his own good, at the height of his fame Vollon had a slew of admirers that forced him to barricade his rooms and work in remote inns to escape attention. He’d come a long way from his younger days, painting signs for cash and selling his work at dismally low price points. Although his exquisite still lifes gained him much acclaim, Vollon was a modest fellow who said he was “madly in love” with his art form. It’s hard not to root for this talented underdog, whether or not you’re a fan of still life and somber color palettes.