Still life
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Le vieux pot de peinture orange - 370
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 27 x 19 x 16 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 7.5 x 6.3 inch
$520
Breakfast
Kittisak Taweekitpinyo
Painting - 150 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,336
Le vieux pot de peinture rouge - 356
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 13 x 25 x 18 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 9.8 x 7.1 inch
$452
Dreams by the window
Tetiana Pchelnykova
Painting - 90 x 90 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 1 inch
$1,606
Radiant Blossoms
Shahen Aleksandryan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
Sold
Sisters in Bloom, original painting by Ukrainian artist Tetiana Pchelnykova
Tetiana Pchelnykova
Painting - 100 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,301
Big bang sur papier 33
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$226
Big bang sur papier 31
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$204
Sublime Relaxation
Stepan Ohanyan
Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$250 $213
Fleurs au vase bleu
Pierrick Tual
Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,601
Bouteille Champagne Prince 17-24
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 30 x 13 x 13 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 5.1 x 5.1 inch
$1,131
Big bang sur papier 19
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Big bang sur papier 28
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Big bang sur papier 27
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Big bang sur papier 26
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Big bang sur papier 24
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Big bang sur papier 25
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$475
Lily's Transgression
Elena Chulkova
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,262
Mantón y mesa con frutas
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 100 x 73 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 inch
$8,482
What the rose tell me
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 30 x 25 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,131
Orange hydrangea in a vase
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$294
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 123
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 1024
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Third Floor, South
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Interiors Hall, Third Floor
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 101.6 x 67.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 26.6 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 330
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Two Glasses of Champagne (XXL)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Two Glasses of Champagne (L)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$20,000
Two Glasses of Champagne (L)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$20,000
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$20,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Peony, Pink Flower
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch
$622 $529
Window view 14 - Cherry .rar
Low Bros
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$2,827
You are my sweet strawberry berry
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 60 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,018
Gordon's dry gin
Gopal Dagnogo
Painting - 150 x 150 x 1 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 0.4 inch
$12,440
Series ‘Morning Flowers’
Ramaz Chantladze
Painting - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,262
Boîte n°1 - série boîte de conserve
Anne-Marie Renno
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$814
Composition aux machines et outils
John Reitz
Painting - 31.5 x 41.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 12.4 x 16.3 x 0.2 inch
$2,551
Boîte n°2 - série boîte de conserve
Anne-Marie Renno
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$814
Composition aux outils
John Reitz
Painting - 45 x 45 x 0.4 cm Painting - 17.7 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch
$1,716
Gravity Liquid 02 (Medium)
Seb Janiak
Photography - 110 x 86 cm Photography - 43.3 x 33.9 inch
$4,633
Magnetic Radiation 99 (Medium)
Seb Janiak
Photography - 120 x 90 cm Photography - 47.2 x 35.4 inch
$4,633
Still life
Although at its heart a classic subject, the still life was the preferred approach of Cézanne, the artist who paved the way for art to enter its most modern phase. From Cubism to Hyperrealism via Pop art, sculpture, and photography, almost all art forms have been at some point shown that it is still possible to breathe new life into this age old theme.
Be it completely de-structured, funny, classic, or minimalist, the contemporary still life is far from old fashioned, despite the fact that it boasts a long, celebrated history.
Let's take a closer look at this theme that recurs so often across art history… even in antiquity, Pliny had already written about a painter called Piraikos, known for his paintings of 'provisions for cooking', and the optical illusions of Zeuxis, from which it was said that birds would try to pick off the raisins because they looked so real. The conventional still life as we know it today, however, dates back to the 17th century, where it developed in Holland under strict aesthetic codes.
Generally, oils on canvas were the preferred method for representing inanimate objects of varying types (lots of fruit, fish, game…) and flowers. The colours were muted, the background a monochromic black, the atmosphere heavy, and the light at a steep diagonal angle. There were few elements but they were precisely arranged and loaded with religious symbolism.
Even though still life was never considered a genre in its own right, almost all of the great masters have tried their hand at it at some point or other. Across the 19th century, all the art movements went through a still life phase: romanticism, impressionism, symbolism… and under the brushes of Degas, Cézanne, Monet, etc., still life evolved.
Little by little, artists added colours, erased the biblical references and replaced them with everyday objects in ever greater numbers: cooking utensils, cups of coffee, gas lamps, musical instruments…
In the 20th century, modern art once more dusted off this 'boring' subject, and began to play with its strict codes. From cubism to pop art to surrealism, all of the artistic movements made their mark on still life. Bit by bit, they took it to pieces and rebuilt it, moving ever closer to the contemporary still life, which has little to do with the original genre except for its central theme.
After his separation from Olga Khokhlova in 1936, Pablo Picasso painted 'Still Life Under a Lamp' whose plastic elements suggested themes that would later be developed in his famous 'Guernica' the following year. Pale lamplight dominates the triangular composition in the centre of the canvas and the arms of the antique sculpture appear to be on the verge of falling off the table. Although the piece altogether seems to move away from the classic still life, it maintains the traditional heavy atmosphere.
In 1956 the Catalan surrealist painter Salvador Dali painted 'Living Still Life' in his typical humorous style. The canvas – divided in two to represent night and day – shows a table on a balcony. The elements (wine, water, a pear, a knife…) are in motion, or rather levitating, as though someone has just struck the tabletop.
Artsper invites you to explore a range of contemporary still life pieces that are both traditional and surprising in our unique selection. Discover the work of Syvie Andlauer Baruch, Gonzalo Sicre, Zbigniew Wozniak, and many more…