Still life
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Oiseau carré aux fruits en bleu et jaune
Stephanie Larène
Painting - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$509
Roses rouges Marielle Franco
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 110 x 86 x 0.2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 33.9 x 0.1 inch
$2,431
Bouquet vert sur établi
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 95 x 98 x 0.3 cm Painting - 37.4 x 38.6 x 0.1 inch
$2,375
Grappes and wine on table
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 162 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 63.8 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,619
Still Life with Calla Lily
Ugo Celada
Painting - 50 x 33 x 0.3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13 x 0.1 inch
$12,440
Rose in Close-up
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$430
Corridor chess
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 130 x 97 x 0.3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.1 inch
$2,816
Guitarrista
Josep Serra I Santa Serranta
Painting - 46 x 38 x 3 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 1.2 inch
$20,356
La victoire de Christophe Charbonnel
Michel Di Maggio
Photography - 80 x 120 x 5 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 2 inch
$2,827
Rouge Rouille
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Masque. Rouille
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Marche et Rouille
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Coucher de soleil sur les mats. Voile
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Enveloppe de couleurs
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Kasbha du pacha el Glaoui. Télouet. Maroc
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,470
Fin de journée sur les tests hivernaux en F1
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Ronnie Peterson. Tyrell à six roues.
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Mika Hakkinen. MacLaren
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,583
Troupeau de Buffles Agra. Inde
Dominique Leroy
Photography - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$905
Gangster Lady. Happy End
Mariana Gumeniuc
Painting - 100 x 120 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch
$11,912
Bol-Blanc - Composition graphique imaginaire
Alyne
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$424
Les pinceaux - Composition graphique imaginaire
Alyne
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$424
Jeux de quilles - Surréalisme et imaginaire
Alyne
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$424
Vases et fleurs - Composition graphique imaginaire
Alyne
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$424
Bouquet et pot en cuivre
Aurèle Barraud
Painting - 55 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,940
I switched baristas - Clear blue skies
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
I switched baristas - Seafoam Skies
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 32 x 41 x 1 cm Print - 12.6 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch
$390
California Super Bloom - Blue
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
California Super Bloom - Grey
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
California Super Bloom - Pink
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
Business as unusual - Blue
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
Easy breezy lemon squeezy - Blue
M.E. Ster-Molnar
Print - 41 x 32 x 1 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch
$390
Still life no.10
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 63.5 x 46 x 0.4 cm Painting - 25 x 18.1 x 0.2 inch
$1,244
Flowers with butterflies
Claude Decamps
Painting - 20 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 9.8 x 0 inch
$430
Traditional Ties
Elaine Ashburn
Fine Art Drawings - 36.83 x 48.26 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.5 x 19 x 0 inch
$3,432
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…