Still life
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Bleu Orange et Citron
Pierrick Tual
Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,679
Gourmandise glacée
Delphine Hogarth
Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,473
Nature morte au verre cocktail
René Guinand
Painting - 50 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 24 x 0.8 inch
$618
Nature morte à l'arrosoir et aux cactus
William Goliasch
Painting - 46 x 60 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.1 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch
$1,178
I hide myself within my Flower
Anika Manuel
Painting - 18 x 18 x 2 cm Painting - 7.1 x 7.1 x 0.8 inch
$177
Magnetic Radiation 14 (Medium)
Seb Janiak
Photography - 120 x 120 cm Photography - 47.2 x 47.2 inch
$4,579
Golden Glow Still Life
Allan O'Marra
Painting - 31.2 x 47 x 2.5 cm Painting - 12.3 x 18.5 x 1 inch
$737
Gros bouquet en carafe
René Guinand
Painting - 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch
$709
Bouquet de fleurs dans un vase blanc et napperon
René Guinand
Painting - 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch
$629
Still Life Series - Watermelon Peel Inserted In A Cup
Zhao De-Wei
Painting - 50 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch
$3,907
Centro con menbrillos
Manuel Gómez Balsalobre
Painting - 31 x 42 cm Painting - 12.2 x 16.5 inch
$893
Nature morte aux poires
Herbert Theurillat
Painting - 24 x 29 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.4 x 0.8 inch
$572
Le bonheur est dans le thé
Ludivine Corominas
Painting - 38 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 15 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$2,266
EXCLUSIVITE : une fondation offerte avec ce tableau sur les Iles Caïmans
Arseneca
Painting - 120 x 210 x 1 cm Painting - 47.2 x 82.7 x 0.4 inch
$6,140
Allegro con brio
Anastas Kamburov
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$6,084
La femme à l'ombrelle
Michel Rauscher
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$4,353
Domenica in controluce
Samoré
Fine Art Drawings - 29 x 21 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.4 x 8.3 x 0.2 inch
$726
Cascade d' Asie
Ludivine Corominas
Painting - 80 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,679
The porcelain cup - Italian painting still life + frame
Andrea Borella
Painting - 45 x 49 x 1 cm Painting - 17.7 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch
$698
Lemons & books - Italian painting still life
Andrea Borella
Painting - 80 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$809
Audemars Piguet - Pink Gold
Vincent Sabatier
Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$201
La table d'été II
Agnès Tiollier
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch
$3,014
Still Life with Salad and a Bunch of Radishes
Filippo De Pisis
Painting - 66.5 x 87 x 0.5 cm Painting - 26.2 x 34.3 x 0.2 inch
$62,511
Bouquet de fleurs, tulipes, lilas et pivoines
Alexis Louis Roche
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$606
On the Kitchen Table 6
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 5
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 4
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 2
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 3
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 12
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,567
On the Kitchen Table 1
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 90 x 135 cm Photography - 35.4 x 53.1 inch
$3,907
Déjeuner au soleil, Grasse
Claude Schürr
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2.5 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 1 inch
$12,056
Eaux vertes au port Canto, Cannes
Claude Schürr
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 1 inch
$8,037
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…