Still life
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Composition aux groseilles blanches
Sylvie Julkowski-Egard
Painting - 92 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,615 $2,092
Lilacs and Zinnias
Peggie Blizard
Painting - 60.96 x 45.72 x 5.08 cm Painting - 24 x 18 x 2 inch
$46,487
Parrot feathers
Anand Manchiraju
Painting - 76.2 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$6,000 $5,400
Signe émotionnel Pays/Danger/Culture II
Eddy Firmin
Print - 83.8 x 124.5 x 2.5 cm Print - 33 x 49 x 1 inch
$3,979
Signe émotionnel Pays/Danger/Culture I
Eddy Firmin
Print - 83.8 x 124.5 x 2.5 cm Print - 33 x 49 x 1 inch
$3,979
Fruits d'automne
Odile Pinto-Corbin
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$931
Exuberance printanière.
Odile Pinto-Corbin
Painting - 50 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 24 x 0.8 inch
$1,705
Yosemite Awakens
Drew Doggett
Photography - 45.7 x 68.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 18 x 27 x 0.1 inch
$2,160
A fragrant bouquet
Alexander Shandor
Painting - 60 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$3,000
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 15 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.1 inch
$74
French vase with Citrus tachibana
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,665
Large blue jar with dots
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,665
Large violet jar with traditional Japanese patterns
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,871
Large jar with Japanese traditional patterns
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,871
Large blue jar with Japanese traditional patterns #1162
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,871
Large blue jar with hollyhock, wisteria and Japanese traditional patterns #1164
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,871
Large green jar with flowers and Japanese traditional patterns #1165
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,871
Bougies / S
Didier Cormillot
Photography - 40 x 60 x 6 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 2.4 inch
$1,103
Love Those Stilettos
Haleh Mashian
Painting - 45.7 x 45.7 x 5.1 cm Painting - 18 x 18 x 2 inch
$2,485
Papillon XV
Iolanta Gondouin (Iola)
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$2,274
Nature morte à la fleur
Fabien Gäng
Painting - 30 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$944
Droneland
Romain Liverato
Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0.1 inch
$1,023
Nature morte confinement 3
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 45 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$512
Interior with arums, inspired by Duffy.
Catherine Clare
Print - 70 x 70 x 3 cm Print - 27.6 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,023
Still life with an orange tablecloth
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$853
Heavy Waves of Gentle Love
Juli Manara
Print - 120 x 100 x 0.1 cm Print - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,421
Finding Comfort After Exquisite Pain
Juli Manara
Print - 120 x 100 x 0.1 cm Print - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,421
#Sugar Cubes on sugar dreams
Julio Ramon Serrano Moreno
Fine Art Drawings - 52 x 76 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20.5 x 29.9 x 0.1 inch
$1,478
Les flèches de propulseur
Marie Serruya
Photography - 116 x 200 x 2 cm Photography - 45.7 x 78.7 x 0.8 inch
$8,526
Composition#01
José Luis Lopez Lara
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2.2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.9 inch
$1,591
Tea and Honey
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 20.3 x 40.6 x 1.9 cm Painting - 8 x 16 x 0.75 inch
$800
Fauteuil abandonné
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 48 x 65 x 0.5 cm Photography - 18.9 x 25.6 x 0.2 inch
$512
Nature morte au gramophone
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 24 x 32 x 0.5 cm Photography - 9.4 x 12.6 x 0.2 inch
$398
Colt 51
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 42 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 16.5 x 0.1 inch
$330
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$74
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$74
N° 877 Chessine 3. Le buste.
R. Cavalié
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 32 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch
$614
My Julietta Roses
Isabelle Hirtzig
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$108
Nature morte aux fruits et pots
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$853
Nature morte aux poivrons rouges, verts et citrons jaunes
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 65 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0 inch
$853
Fleurs dans un vase, inspiré de Gioviana Garzoni
Catherine Clare
Painting - 114 x 96 x 0.2 cm Painting - 44.9 x 37.8 x 0.1 inch
$1,648
Flowers for Lara
Isabelle Hirtzig
Painting - 50 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$131
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 15 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.1 inch
$74
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…