Still life
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Donkey Kong: Nature's Revenge - NES
Arlo Sinclair
Painting - 70.1 x 70.1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 inch
€2,602
Atari CX40: Joystick Driver Disk - 3.5" Grey
Arlo Sinclair
Painting - 70.1 x 70.1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 inch
€2,602
Aroma of spring
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
€435
Crimson Poppy Delight
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
€96 €82
J’ai l’âme nomade
Magdalena Lamri
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch
€2,280
MS029 Still life and lamps
Mike Swaney
Painting - 21 x 29 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 11.4 x 0 inch
€1,130
Heart over head
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,100
Le vin du souvenir
Ksenia Milicevic
Painting - 100 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
€4,800
Still Life With Sunflowers
Tanya Grinevich
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€2,400
Warhol Paint Brushes (4)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
€48,282
Warhol Paint Brushes (2)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
€9,656
Paradis artificiel
Alexandre Monteiro (Hopare)
Painting - 33 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
€7,000
Passereaux trépassés 9 : Fauvette à tête noire 4
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 8 : Merlette
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 7 : Rouge gorge
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 5 : Martinet noir
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 4 : Fauvette à tête noire 2
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 3 : Fauvette à tête noire
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Passereaux trépassés 2 : Sittelle
Thierry Robert
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€380
Vil-stt-trous
Dominique Genty
Photography - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€500
Nature morte aux poissons
Antoine Lombardo
Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch
€398
Nature morte d'automne
Maria Malomoude
Painting - 60 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
€700
Warhol Paint Brushes (1)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 30 x 30 inch
€4,828
Ils mangent de la brioche
Marie Rauzy
Painting - 53 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 20.9 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch
€3,200
Cubist Still Life 2
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 100 x 81 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.4 inch
€2,500
Cuisine campagnarde
Françoise Bircher
Painting - 46 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch
€350
White Still
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Orange Still
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Erotic Maniac
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Three dry pink-orange roses
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Venice
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Red Flowers and Buddha
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
€2,124
Big Bang sur papier 15
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€420
Big Bang sur papier 14
Joëlle Kem Lika
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€420
Aperture 14
Nicolas Sanchez
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 43.2 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 17 x 2 inch
€4,828
Aperture 7
Nicolas Sanchez
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 43.2 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 17 x 2 inch
€4,828
Blossom and bird song
Arevik Gasparyan
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€290
La part de chacun
Gérard Willemenot
Painting - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
€2,900
Ruby of the Orchard: Still Life
Arayik Murdaynan
Painting - 40 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
€192
La ville, Les maisons, Les Visages (7)
Morten Schelde
Print - 28 x 21.5 cm Print - 11 x 8.5 inch
€150
IV (Lilium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 16.9 x 0 inch
€280
V (Anemone)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 53 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€280
XXIII (Atriplex)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 44 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 17.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch
€220
VI (Hibiscus)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 48 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 18.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€280
IX (Lilium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 16.9 x 0 inch
€400
VIII (Taraxacum)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 53 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 20.9 x 0 inch
€400
X (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€430
XI (Kohleria)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 45 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 17.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€400
XII (Hibiscus)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 48 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 18.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€400
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…