![Painting, Blue Jug, Takashi Yasuoka](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1374549_1_grid.jpg)
Still life
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![Painting, Blue Jug, Takashi Yasuoka](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1374549_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Bouquet niçois, Percival Pernet](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1360701_1_grid.jpg)
Bouquet niçois
Percival Pernet
Painting - 64.5 x 51 x 0.3 cm Painting - 25.4 x 20.1 x 0.1 inch
€1,327
![Sculpture, Pot 1, Marcus Egli](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1283427_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/629886_1_grid.jpg)
Botanic
Pascal Marlin
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch
€150
![Painting, Jambes, Pascal Marlin](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/625293_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Sill life with cherries, Simona Tsvetkova](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2178651_1_grid.jpg)
Sill life with cherries
Simona Tsvetkova
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€949
![Painting, Cage / Sans titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2177605_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Cage / Sans titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2171167_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Cage / Sans titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2166554_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Lilacs on a Table, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154053_1_grid.jpg)
Lilacs on a Table
Yuriy Demiyanov
Painting - 45 x 55 x 3 cm Painting - 17.7 x 21.7 x 1.2 inch
€2,000
![Painting, Phloxes on Red, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154050_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Peonies and Apricots, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154047_1_grid.jpg)
Peonies and Apricots
Yuriy Demiyanov
Painting - 50 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€1,700
![Painting, Night Bouquet, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154040_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Against the Light, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154037_1_grid.jpg)
Against the Light
Yuriy Demiyanov
Painting - 50 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€1,700
![Painting, Winter Bouquet, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2154030_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Flowers, fruits and veggies, Ania Pieniazek](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148132_1_grid.jpg)
Flowers, fruits and veggies
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 60 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 2 inch
€1,109
![Painting, Roses and long pears, Ania Pieniazek](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148131_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Autumn vibrations, Ania Pieniazek](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148128_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Conversation with Poppies, Ania Pieniazek](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2114574_1_grid.jpg)
Conversation with Poppies
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 80 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 2 inch
€1,478
![Painting, Summer Evening, Ania Pieniazek](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2001522_1_grid.jpg)
![Fine Art Drawings, Offrir, Philippe Huart](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1946067_1_grid.jpg)
Offrir
Philippe Huart
Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 18 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.1 x 7.1 x 0.1 inch
€500
![Painting, Standbad VI, Manu Rich](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/176743_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Still Life with a Green Bottle, Yuriy Demiyanov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1751034_1_grid.jpg)
Still Life with a Green Bottle
Yuriy Demiyanov
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,300
![Painting, Les Animaux de la Savane / Savannah's Animals, Eric Khellas](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/162562_1_grid.jpg)
Les Animaux de la Savane / Savannah's Animals
Eric Khellas
Painting - 92 x 73 x 5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 2 inch
€1,200
![Painting, Diogenes in a search for an honest man, Vladimir Kolosov](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1587537_1_grid.jpg)
Diogenes in a search for an honest man
Vladimir Kolosov
Painting - 30.5 x 38.7 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12 x 15.25 x 0.1 inch
€561
![Painting, Watermelon season, Alexander Shandor](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1532622_1_grid.jpg)
Watermelon season
Alexander Shandor
Painting - 70 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€2,904
![Painting, Tête à Tête, Céline Lanne](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1485384_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Moth, Natia Sapanadze](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1446411_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Fauteuil n°4, Anne-Marie Renno](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/914145_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Fauteuil n°2, Anne-Marie Renno](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/914136_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Boîte n°2 - série boîte de conserve, Anne-Marie Renno](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/914082_1_grid.jpg)
Boîte n°2 - série boîte de conserve
Anne-Marie Renno
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€720
![Painting, Le Cannet by night, Linda McCluskey](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/710784_1_grid.jpg)
Le Cannet by night
Linda McCluskey
Painting - 80 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€1,950
![Painting, Ombres et Lumières sur le Quercy, Thérèse Bosc](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/612669_1_grid.jpg)
Ombres et Lumières sur le Quercy
Thérèse Bosc
Painting - 130 x 100 cm Painting - 51.2 x 39.4 inch
€2,440
![Painting, Dissolvenza, Lorena Fonsato](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/488152_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Flordali - Les Fruits : Poire Don Quichotte, Salvador Dali](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/342028_1_grid.jpg)
Flordali - Les Fruits : Poire Don Quichotte
Salvador Dali
Print - 56.5 x 37 cm Print - 22.2 x 14.6 inch
€4,500
![Painting, Scrigno cinese, Alexander Daniloff](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/269326_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Fleur 2, Li Dongfeng](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/236896_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Les coquelicots 3, Michèle Kaus](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148779_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Les coquelicots 2, Michèle Kaus](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148747_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Les coquelicots 1, Michèle Kaus](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148710_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Abstract flowers, Kamo Atoyan](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1994106_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Le petit œuf à la coque 1978 The small boiled egg, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1229673_1_grid.jpg)
Le petit œuf à la coque 1978 The small boiled egg
Mario Avati
Print - 22 x 24 cm Print - 8.7 x 9.4 inch
€1,950
![Print, Cerise bleue, pastèque rouge Blue cherry, red watermelon, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1227822_1_grid.jpg)
Cerise bleue, pastèque rouge Blue cherry, red watermelon
Mario Avati
Print - 11 x 15 cm Print - 4.3 x 5.9 inch
€990
![Print, Bouteilles nature morte Bottles still life, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1227816_1_grid.jpg)
Bouteilles nature morte Bottles still life
Mario Avati
Print - 11 x 15 cm Print - 4.3 x 5.9 inch
€990
![Print, Cerises Red and Grey cherries, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1227807_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Cerises Cherries, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1227801_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Le livre des livres, Arpad Szenes](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1225542_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Le vif éclat du rouge cerise, Mario Avati](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1212792_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Gerro amb flors / Vase with Flowers, Joan Hernández Pijuan](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1150821_1_grid.jpg)
Gerro amb flors / Vase with Flowers
Joan Hernández Pijuan
Print - 151 x 112 x 0.1 cm Print - 59.4 x 44.1 x 0 inch
€2,800
![Painting, Ce que je vois, Amor de Agua](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/984507_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Building my Nest - 2 Trees, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981864_1_grid.jpg)
Building my Nest - 2 Trees
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€490
![Painting, Composition aux outils, John Reitz](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/697248_1_grid.jpg)
Composition aux outils
John Reitz
Painting - 45 x 45 x 0.4 cm Painting - 17.7 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch
€1,619
![Painting, Détente matinale, Nice, Claude Schürr](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/668397_1_grid.jpg)
Détente matinale, Nice
Claude Schürr
Painting - 100 x 81 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1 inch
€8,500
![Print, Punk Pineapple, Ludo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/52609_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Something, Saverio Filioli Uranio](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/281455_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Nature's bounty, Vahe Bagumyan](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2174700_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Cage / Sans titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2171166_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Cage / Sans titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2166075_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, La bibliothèque bleue, Jean-Vincent Escalant](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2148570_1_grid.jpg)
La bibliothèque bleue
Jean-Vincent Escalant
Painting - 90 x 90 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 inch
€1,200
![Painting, Future Perfect Continuous, Andrew Weir](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1950684_1_grid.jpg)
Future Perfect Continuous
Andrew Weir
Painting - 48 x 36 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.9 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch
€500
![Sculpture, Cuscino rouge avec texture, Tiziano Sculpteur](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1735998_1_grid.jpg)
Cuscino rouge avec texture
Tiziano Sculpteur
Sculpture - 26 x 48 x 13 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 18.9 x 5.1 inch
€1,400
![Painting, Cage / Sans Titre, Meteo Meteo](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1588212_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Lemons, Anastasia Kurakina](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1578711_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Poissons, Pierrick Tual](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1554252_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Anémones, Pierrick Tual](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1541448_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Equilibre 5, Jean Valera](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1453968_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Magic tree, Saverio Filioli Uranio](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1370334_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Les pommes, André Lac](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1332834_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, In Good Spirit for Today, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981882_1_grid.jpg)
In Good Spirit for Today
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€490
![Painting, Red Soup, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981852_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Red Bowl, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981849_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Golden Bowl, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981813_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Glass Bowl, Joanna Glazer](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/981810_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Ballet, Joan Brossa](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/713934_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Crisantemo, Antonella Scolfaro](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/703152_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Violets, Ivan Russev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/414733_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Scent Of Spring, Ivan Russev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/414730_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Eight Apples, Ivan Russev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/414721_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Femmes africaines 8557, Michel Rauscher](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/362517_1_grid.jpg)
Femmes africaines 8557
Michel Rauscher
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
€1,100
![Fine Art Drawings, O., Jinny Yu](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/330406_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Vanitas 5, Markus Lüpertz](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/264025_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Le bouquet blanc, Marc Chagall](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2147488_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, La Fanfarlo 8, Leonor Fini](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/189937_1_grid.jpg)
![Painting, Rose hips and cherries, Ivan Russev](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1691664_1_grid.jpg)
Rose hips and cherries
Ivan Russev
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,600
![Photography, Allégorie de la création à la grenade, Iconographia](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1446705_1_grid.jpg)
Allégorie de la création à la grenade
Iconographia
Photography - 59.4 x 42 cm Photography - 23.4 x 16.5 inch
€300
![Fine Art Drawings, Jon Gould photographed by Andy Warhol. From The Love of Andy series, Manuel Santelices](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1440444_1_grid.jpg)
Jon Gould photographed by Andy Warhol. From The Love of Andy series
Manuel Santelices
Fine Art Drawings - 22.9 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9 x 12 x 0.1 inch
€871
![Print, La coupe 1994 The cup, Thérèse Boucraut](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1229700_1_grid.jpg)
![Print, Double Decoy II, Hunt Slonem](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1163226_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Goliath Beetle Open, Samuel Dejong](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/865065_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Atlas Beetle Open, Samuel Dejong](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/865062_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Atlas Beetle Closed, Samuel Dejong](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/865059_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Hercules Beetle Open, Samuel Dejong](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/859596_1_grid.jpg)
![Photography, Hercules Beetle Closed, Samuel Dejong](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/859593_1_grid.jpg)
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…