Still life
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Wine and Pomegranate Harmony
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
$99
Lush Lilac Elegance
Vlas Ayvazyan
Painting - 50 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
$700 $595
Petite Ville Sainte
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 20 x 10 x 10 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch
$3,638
Beaume au Coeur
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 73 x 21 x 20 cm Sculpture - 28.7 x 8.3 x 7.9 inch
$4,774
Home Sweet Home
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 45 x 35 x 35 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 13.8 x 13.8 inch
$4,320
Bouquet aux tournesols
Pierrick Tual
Painting - 61 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,705
Colorful Garden Bouquet
Aram Sevoyan
Painting - 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$250
Natura morta
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 44.5 x 34.5 x 1 cm Painting - 17.5 x 13.6 x 0.4 inch
$443
Roses in a Jug
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$909
Serre-Tête
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 85 x 25 x 20 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 9.8 x 7.9 inch
$8,412
Room interior with a chair and lamp
Schagen Vita
Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,819
Pop Goes the World
Jacinthe Rivard
Painting - 77 x 77 x 4 cm Painting - 30.3 x 30.3 x 1.6 inch
$2,688
Vase of flowers #5
Rachael Dalzell
Painting - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,268
Vase of flowers #4
Rachael Dalzell
Painting - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,268
Paysage au chaudron
Françoise Danel
Painting - 120 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,979
Oysters, lemons and fish
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$477
Betrayal of the Queen
Arto Mkrtchyan
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$450
Talking Fast / Magenta Tulips On Dark Green
Simon Findlay
Painting - 150 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 59.1 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,160
Poésie imprévisible
Mickaël Doucet
Painting - 116 x 89 x 1 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 0.4 inch
$8,526
Nature Morte Vivante Avec Poire Raisons et Citron
Robert Combas
Painting - 45 x 58 cm Painting - 17.7 x 22.8 inch
$37,513
Sweet strawberries
Natalya Mougenot
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$466
Global Warning (Chrome Rose)
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 15 x 15 x 15 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch
$3,865
Floral Expression
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 73 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,137
White tulips on a pink background. Morning, spring
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$739
Blue still life with pomegranates and teapot.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$853
Burgundy peonies, blue flowers in a vase. Candles and antique table.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,137
Introspection 6
Benedicte Caillat
Painting - 34 x 25 x 1.5 cm Painting - 13.4 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch
$1,364
Fruitful Elegance
Karine Harutyunyan
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$600
Poppies and Two Jugs
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 59 x 69 x 2 cm Painting - 23.2 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch
$796
Les ombres du savoir
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 65 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
$3,399
Yellow Fantasy I
Aaron Labin (Grigoryan)
Painting - 30 x 30 x 3.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.4 inch
$567
Bottles (Candle Holders)
Andrii Davydenko
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,250
Bouquet champestre
François d'Aubagne
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.2 inch
$966
Calebasse striée
Françoise Danel
Painting - 114 x 146 x 3 cm Painting - 44.9 x 57.5 x 1.2 inch
$4,433
Still life #13, Maroc
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 11 x 9 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.5 inch
$2,615
Introspection 8
Benedicte Caillat
Painting - 30 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch
$1,250
Tulips on a Yellow Table
Arman Hayrapetyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,400
MUCAV
Stefano Mazzolini
Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
$568
The magic of the evening
Iryna Bondar
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$568
Letters to the Universe.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$4,888
Still Life with Pomegranates
Stepan Ohanyan
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$199
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…