Still life
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Untitled 1 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 inch
$738
Untitled 9 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 inch
$738
Untitled 5 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 13.8 inch
$604
Tulipani all'alba
Antonella Scolfaro
Painting - 20 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$335
Jardin Valsansibio ( Série reflets)
Ellen Geerts
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$783
Still life with flowers and pomegranate
Hayk Miqayelyan
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$750
Pink Rhododendron
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$604
Breakfast in the sky
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$850
Spring breakfasat
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch
$604
Spring dandelions
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$559
Still life - Sunflowers
Hayk Miqayelyan
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$750
Twisted fate
Megan Mickael
Photography - 20.32 x 13.46 x 2.54 cm Photography - 8 x 5.3 x 1 inch
$1,845
Waiting for a sign
Megan Mickael
Photography - 20.32 x 13.46 x 2.54 cm Photography - 8 x 5.3 x 1 inch
$1,845
Vinal view
Megan Mickael
Photography - 20.32 x 13.46 x 2.54 cm Photography - 8 x 5.3 x 1 inch
$1,845
Pill Head study in orange
Megan Mickael
Photography - 40.64 x 40.64 x 2.54 cm Photography - 16 x 16 x 1 inch
$1,923
On the old quay
Zhivko Mutafchiev
Painting - 95 x 120 x 2.5 cm Painting - 37.4 x 47.2 x 1 inch
$2,795
Coffee Red
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 11.43 x 16.51 x 0.6 cm Painting - 4.5 x 6.5 x 0.2 inch
$1,040
I'll Take a Gin
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 24.13 x 19.05 x 0.6 cm Painting - 9.5 x 7.5 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Lollipops Yellow
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 19.05 x 24.13 x 0.6 cm Painting - 7.5 x 9.5 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Coffee Blue
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 19.05 x 24.13 x 0.6 cm Painting - 7.5 x 9.5 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Red Popsicle
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 31.75 x 24.13 x 0.6 cm Painting - 12.5 x 9.5 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Fork and Spoon
Jennifer Gilligan
Painting - 11.43 x 15.24 x 0.6 cm Painting - 4.5 x 6 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Bouquet printanier et canaris
Jean Jacques Boimond
Painting - 59 x 66 x 1 cm Painting - 23.2 x 26 x 0.4 inch
$1,540
Bouteilles et coupe d'oranges et citron
Jean Jacques Boimond
Painting - 62.5 x 91.5 x 2 cm Painting - 24.6 x 36 x 0.8 inch
$2,100
Deux roses en vase
Louis Henri Salzmann
Painting - 46 x 33 x 0.3 cm Painting - 18.1 x 13 x 0.1 inch
$1,225
Dead nature scrolls #12
Andrés Rozo Samer
Photography - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$1,269
Dead nature Scrolls #1
Andrés Rozo Samer
Photography - 60 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$1,269
The Mythology of Physics
Funing Xia
Painting - 150 x 130 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 51.2 x 1.6 inch
$56,124
Nature morte aux pensées
Paul Mathey
Painting - 50.5 x 61.5 x 2 cm Painting - 19.9 x 24.2 x 0.8 inch
$1,867
Cosa Mentale
Gianfranco Pezzot
Photography - 180 x 240 x 0.2 cm Photography - 70.9 x 94.5 x 0.1 inch
$17,419
Cubist Flowers and Fruits
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 61 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$2,012
Cubist Still Life 3
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 50 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,677
Cubist Still Life
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 73 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,955
Vivid Poppy Impressions
Mateos Sargsyan
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$360
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…