Still life
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Matière à rêver
Françoise Danel
Painting - 100 x 150 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch
$4,372
Bouquet of Chamomiles
Serhii Cherniakovskyi
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,600
Golden Pomegranate Harvest
Vlas Ayvazyan
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$600
Arc en ciel de connaissances
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,895
Les livres de poche
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,110
The Beauty of Yellow Roses
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$999
Blossoms of the Meadow
Lilith Tonakanyan
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,150
The Scent of Tulips
Lilith Tonakanyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,200
L'Atelier prismatique
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,895
Caillou au trait rouge
Françoise Danel
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$504
Pomegranate delight-texture fruit painting, red and green colors
Serhii Cherniakovskyi
Painting - 35 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$860
Le gobelet d'argent
Françoise Danel
Painting - 116 x 116 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$3,812
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Fourth Floor, South
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Lilies and water lilies. A shady pond. A Monet-style triptych.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 43 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 16.9 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,121
At the Underground Pub
Dondi Schwartz
Painting - 42 x 86 x 3 cm Painting - 16.5 x 33.9 x 1.2 inch
$1,233
Bouquet aux tournesols
Pierrick Tual
Painting - 61 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,682
Mi escondite de verano
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,475
El pastor ceno pescao
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,475
Lemons and flowers
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$471
C’est un téléphone
Angélique Dufossé
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1 inch
$1,110
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
$1,794
Natura morta
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 44.5 x 34.5 x 1 cm Painting - 17.5 x 13.6 x 0.4 inch
$437
Still Life with Sunlit Blooms
Lilith Gurekhyan
Painting - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$800
Cherries, apples and flowers
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$504
Bouquet of flowers
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 59 x 69 x 5 cm Painting - 23.2 x 27.2 x 2 inch
$785
Bouquet Beautiful
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 59.5 x 69.5 x 1.8 cm Painting - 23.4 x 27.4 x 0.7 inch
$785
Yellow Rose.
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 59 x 69 x 1.8 cm Painting - 23.2 x 27.2 x 0.7 inch
$785
Cage / Sans titre
Meteo Meteo
Painting - 84.1 x 59.4 x 0.1 cm Painting - 33.1 x 23.4 x 0 inch
$729 $364
Paysage au chaudron
Françoise Danel
Painting - 120 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,924
Abstract flowers n°2 - Italian painting & frame
Paolo Massimo Abrans
Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$392
Abstract flowers n°1 - Italian painting & frame
Paolo Massimo Abrans
Painting - 47 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 18.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$392
Transparence grise
Françoise Danel
Painting - 120 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,924
Cubist Flowers and Fruits
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 61 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$2,018
Cubist Still Life 3
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 50 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,682
Cubist Still Life
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 73 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,961
Nature Morte Vivante Avec Poire Raisons et Citron
Robert Combas
Painting - 45 x 58 cm Painting - 17.7 x 22.8 inch
$36,996
Couleur Majorelle III
Agnès Tiollier
Fine Art Drawings - 69 x 49 x 0.15 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.2 x 19.3 x 0.1 inch
$1,009
Alberobello Echoes - 10
Ralouka Montesi
Photography - 45 x 30 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 inch
$757
Alberobello Echoes - 05
Ralouka Montesi
Photography - 70 x 50 cm Photography - 27.6 x 19.7 inch
$1,059
La poire ouverte, lithographie originale
Claude Gaveau
Print - 72 x 56 x 0.3 cm Print - 28.3 x 22 x 0.1 inch
$426
Dîner sur Saint Sylvestre
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 130 x 162 x 4 cm Painting - 51.2 x 63.8 x 1.6 inch
$3,588
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…