Still life
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Chinese Interior #20
Robert van der Hilst
Photography - 49 x 42 cm Photography - 19.3 x 16.5 inch
$2,019
Nature morte i 1992 Still life I
P Girot
Print - 33 x 25 x 0.3 cm Print - 13 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch
$1,116
Assiette de poissons
Edouard Arthur
Painting - 33.5 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 13.2 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$873
Composition Florale11
Sébastien Couëffic
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,402
Composition Florale 10
Sébastien Couëffic
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,402
Composition Florale 8
Sébastien Couëffic
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,402
Composition Florale 7
Sébastien Couëffic
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,402
Still life - Flor - Alberto Romero
Alberto Romero
Painting - 38 x 34 x 5 cm Painting - 15 x 13.4 x 2 inch
$1,402
Les pensées sont des bombes
Willy Charps
Painting - 81 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,346
Bowl with blue cloth Cuenco con trapo azul
Alberto Romero
Painting - 50 x 53 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 20.9 x 0.4 inch
$1,907
Bowl with eggs Cuenco con huevos
Alberto Romero
Painting - 50 x 53 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 20.9 x 0.4 inch
$1,907
Window view 04 - Raspberry Lane
Low Bros
Painting - 90 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch
$6,507
Still Life with Aloe Vera
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$981
Still Life with Apples and Coffee
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 1 inch
$654
Still Life with Green Tray
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$981
Apples on Pink Table
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
$720
L’œil du vent
Maryse-Anne Couteau
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$3,366
Still life - Lilacs
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$600 $510
hana18_F5017
Yasuo Kiyonaga
Photography - 130.3 x 97 x 3 cm Photography - 51.3 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch
$4,039
Found garbage still life
John Kilduff
Painting - 91.4 x 121.9 x 2 cm Painting - 36 x 48 x 0.8 inch
$3,350
Untitled
Jordi Maragall
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$1,683
Untitled
Jordi Maragall
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$1,683
Untitled
Jordi Maragall
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$1,683
Untitled
Jordi Maragall
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$1,683
Untitled
Jordi Maragall
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$1,683
Pomegranate
Ayan Aziz Mammadova
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$11,055
Un après-midi au Choiseul
Laurelle Bessé
Painting - 100 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch
$2,917
1915 La Haine Hatred Vintage Photo of a famous painting by VALLOTTON
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$2,188
Nature morte Poireaux 1911 Leeks Still life
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 54 x 0.5 cm Photography - 16.9 x 21.3 x 0.2 inch
$1,627
1915 Pommes Apples
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 54 x 0.5 cm Photography - 16.9 x 21.3 x 0.2 inch
$2,188
1915 Artichauts Artichokes
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 54 cm Photography - 16.9 x 21.3 inch
$2,188
1915 Fleurs Terra Cotta Flowers
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$2,188
1915 Fleurs Fruits Flowers
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,402
1915 Fleurs Fruits Flowers
Eugène Druet
Photography - 43 x 54 cm Photography - 16.9 x 21.3 inch
$1,851
1915 Marguerites Daisies
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,851
1915 Fleurs Citron Flowers Lemon
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$2,188
1915 Bouquets de fleurs Bunches of flowers
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,851
1915 Tulipes endormies Sleeping Tulips
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$2,188
1915 Fleurs et porcelaine Flowers and China
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,846
1915 Fleurs et soie Flowers and silk
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,627
1915 Bouquet de fleurs Bunch of flowers
Eugène Druet
Photography - 54 x 43 cm Photography - 21.3 x 16.9 inch
$1,739
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…