Still life
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L’esprit du feu.
Bengt Lindström
Sculpture - 66.5 x 42 x 9 cm Sculpture - 26.2 x 16.5 x 3.5 inch
$7,503
My soul sees only thy soul its own
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 100 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,638
Through the Pale Twilit Meadows
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 120 x 140 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 55.1 x 1.2 inch
$4,206
Among the Flowers Face to face with the sky
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 125 x 140 x 3 cm Painting - 49.2 x 55.1 x 1.2 inch
$4,206
Strao (Black powder collection)
Alessandra Bisi
Painting - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$193
Les fleurs pour une inconnue
Volodymyr Kolesnyk
Painting - 100 x 85 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 33.5 x 1 inch
$6,139
Joc de pinzells
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 27 x 27 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.4 inch
$398
Petits formats Québécois (Série)
Kitty Sabatier
Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 22 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 8.7 x 0 inch
$568
Variations sur la Knautia collina Jord.
Sophie Zénon
Photography - 60 x 150 x 3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 59.1 x 1.2 inch
$17,052
Gentiana lutea L.
Sophie Zénon
Photography - 137 x 97 x 3 cm Photography - 53.9 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch
$15,915
Autumn still life
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,274
Sunflowers in a blue vase
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 60 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,364
Flower round dance 1
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$978
Still- life with lilac
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 90 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,274
Series on grey background. Poetry.
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 81 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,274
Flower round dance 2
Nadezda Stupina
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$978
Hiding in the city, Paris - n°14, Pharmacy
Liu Bolin
Photography - 90 x 120 cm Photography - 35.4 x 47.2 inch
$16,483
My version of Van Gogh‘s "Twelve Sunflowers“
Annabell Mozer
Painting - 70 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$7,105
Introspection 1/1
Benedicte Caillat
Painting - 70 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$1,591
A large bouquet of roses.
Iryna Kastsova
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,979
Bright bouquet of flowers 2.
Iryna Kastsova
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,979
Purple flowers
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$999 $850
Piaf Noir à picots argent
Valerie Marty
Sculpture - 17 x 12 x 12 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch
$455
Still life with summer flowers
Viktoria Ganhao
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,364
Still life with birds
Ara Gasparyan
Painting - 35 x 72 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 28.3 x 0.8 inch
$900 $765
Rouge Ballon de Chien 21
Miguel Guía
Sculpture - 21.5 x 7 x 20 cm Sculpture - 8.5 x 2.8 x 7.9 inch
$773
Nature morte aux poissons
Antoine Lombardo
Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch
$452
Bouteille champagne 66-22
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 30 x 10 x 10 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch
$796
L'age de glace 16-24
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 12 x 14 x 12 cm Sculpture - 4.7 x 5.5 x 4.7 inch
$682 $614
Cuisine campagnarde
Françoise Bircher
Painting - 46 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch
$398
Love's Philosophy
Katharina Husslein
Painting - 100 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$2,956
Le bouquet de l’esperance
Valérie Dragacci
Painting - 55 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,137
The beautiful spring flowers of my garden.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$909
Donkey Kong: Nature's Revenge - NES
Arlo Sinclair
Painting - 70.1 x 70.1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 inch
$2,695
Atari CX40: Joystick Driver Disk - 3.5" Grey
Arlo Sinclair
Painting - 70.1 x 70.1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 inch
$2,695
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…