Still life
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Psychedelic flower
Damien Berrard
Painting - 116 x 81 x 2.5 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 1 inch
$1,018
Dead Flowers In A Water Jug 4
Simon Findlay
Painting - 20 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
$283
Marilyn Monroe Lips print (1)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 30 x 30 inch
$5,000
King Shot to Death in Memphis
Tyler Shields
Photography - 57.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 22.5 x 30 inch
$5,000
Oriental tale, Painting, Oil on canvas
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 79.8 x 59.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 31.4 x 23.6 x 1 inch
$1,750
Stealing Beauty
Taratina Svetlana
Painting - 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch
$1,188
Bonsai Skull vase
Patrick Bergsma
Sculpture - 40 x 35 x 30 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 13.8 x 11.8 inch
$3,904
Still Life Tomato and Pear
HowardArthur Tweedie
Painting - 37 x 35 x 3 cm Painting - 14.6 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch
$1,641
Le vieux pot de peinture violet - 364
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 29 x 15 x 16 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 5.9 x 6.3 inch
$475
It Is Significant For Us To Have Met Each Other When We Did
Simon Findlay
Painting - 200 x 160 x 2 cm Painting - 78.7 x 63 x 0.8 inch
$2,490
Heaven in a Wild Flower
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 170 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 66.9 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
$5,092
Still life with yellow poppies and a cup of tea
Simona Tsvetkova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$849
The Pomegranate Tapestry
Arto Mkrtchyan
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$450
Untitled de Matilisguate Series 2022
Isabel Herrera
Photography - 35.56 x 35.56 x 1 cm Photography - 14 x 14 x 0.4 inch
$1,075
Portrait of Silence
Arman Hayrapetyan
Painting - 80 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$4,500
Still life #15, Maroc
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 11 x 9 x 1 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.5 x 0.4 inch
$2,603
Still life #14, Maroc
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 11 x 9 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.5 inch
$2,603
Still life #10, Maroc
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 11 x 9 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.5 inch
$2,603
Still life #11, Maroc
FLORE Photographer
Photography - 11 x 9 cm Photography - 4.3 x 3.5 inch
$2,603
Radial bleu
Jean François Humbert
Photography - 78 x 60 x 0.15 cm Photography - 30.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,980
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
$2,580
MS029 Still life and lamps
Mike Swaney
Painting - 21 x 29 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 11.4 x 0 inch
$1,279
Heart over head
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,245
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$20,000
Chanel Silhouette II
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$20,000
Champagne Silhouette
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Life is not a Fairytale (3)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 121.9 x 182.9 cm Photography - 48 x 72 inch
$25,000
Marilyn Monroe Lips print (3)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 152.4 x 152.4 cm Photography - 60 x 60 inch
$25,000
Marilyn Monroe Lips print (2)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
King Shot to Death in Memphis (2)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 160 x 213.4 cm Photography - 63 x 84 inch
$50,000
King Shot to Death in Memphis (1)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 152.4 cm Photography - 45 x 60 inch
$25,000
Warhol Paint Brushes (4)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 177.8 x 177.8 cm Photography - 70 x 70 inch
$50,000
Warhol Paint Brushes (2)
Tyler Shields
Photography - 114.3 x 114.3 cm Photography - 45 x 45 inch
$10,000
Still Life With Sunflowers
Tanya Grinevich
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$2,716
Gordon's dry gin
Gopal Dagnogo
Painting - 150 x 150 x 1 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 0.4 inch
$12,448
Le vieux pot de peinture jaune - 363
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 23 x 16 x 15 cm Sculpture - 9.1 x 6.3 x 5.9 inch
$509
XXVII Lilium
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$113
The Morning Flowers
Ramaz Chantladze
Painting - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$5,658
Le vin du souvenir
Ksenia Milicevic
Painting - 100 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$5,432
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…