Still life
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Still life with Lemon
Michael Gorban
Painting - 32 x 20 x 3 cm Painting - 12.6 x 7.9 x 1.2 inch
$1,139
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
$580
One Day of Happiness
Juliya Povkh
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1 inch
$1,563
The Grandest of Old Men
Glynne James
Painting - 122 x 46 x 4 cm Painting - 48 x 18.1 x 1.6 inch
$2,813
Matisse's Venetian Chair
Richard Dunkley
Photography - 40.6 x 58.4 cm Photography - 16 x 23 inch
$916
Nature morte à la pipe 2
Georges Darel
Painting - 44 x 24.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 17.3 x 9.6 x 0.2 inch
$663
Nature morte à la pipe
Georges Darel
Painting - 44.5 x 25 x 0.5 cm Painting - 17.5 x 9.8 x 0.2 inch
$663
Table fleurie et vue sur jardin
Georges Darel
Painting - 54 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
$743
Ear Cast
Lyubena Fox
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 35 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
$893
Amore infinito
Antonella Laganà
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$8,930 $7,591
Absolument
Antonella Laganà
Painting - 150 x 200 x 2 cm Painting - 59.1 x 78.7 x 0.8 inch
$22,325 $18,977
Abstract flowers
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$450
Composizione 10
Andrea Vandoni
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$781
Composizione 9
Andrea Vandoni
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$781
Coffee & Cigarette 8
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$781
Coffee & Cigarette 7
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$781
Coffee & Cigarette 6
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$781
Still Life With Flowers
Dondi Schwartz
Painting - 70 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$781
At The Flea Market Old Jafa
Dondi Schwartz
Painting - 35 x 35 x 3 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch
$670
Untitled 1 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 inch
$737
Untitled 9 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 inch
$737
Untitled 5 (Nature Takes Back series)
Stela Vasileva
Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 13.8 inch
$603
In Our Intimate Moments - 11
Bruno Palisson
Photography - 80 x 80 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 inch
$1,451
1988 Fer et bouteilles Iron and bottles
Bernard Di Sciullo
Painting - 35 x 40 x 0.5 cm Painting - 13.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
$1,619
2000 Nature morte Still life
Bernard Di Sciullo
Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$1,730
1995 Le lit d'amour Love bed
Peter Stilton
Painting - 40 x 51 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 20.1 x 0.4 inch
$1,312
Still Life in Violet imparting Lemon shadows
Vanessa Cuthbert
Painting - 62 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 24.4 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,271
Still Life in Blue
Vanessa Cuthbert
Painting - 59 x 59 x 2 cm Painting - 23.2 x 23.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,355
Suffocated Still Life II
Gergana Tabakova
Painting - 100 x 110 x 0.2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 43.3 x 0.1 inch
$502
Growing space VI
Gergana Tabakova
Painting - 140 x 150 x 5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 59.1 x 2 inch
$2,791
Tulipani all'alba
Antonella Scolfaro
Painting - 20 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$335
Ballerina III
Tanguy Mendrisse
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$218
Pourquoi être belle si je te plais
Eric Ullrich
Painting - 91 x 122 x 3 cm Painting - 35.8 x 48 x 1.2 inch
$3,014
Cosa Mentale
Gianfranco Pezzot
Photography - 180 x 240 x 0.2 cm Photography - 70.9 x 94.5 x 0.1 inch
$17,392 $14,783
Everybody has the Right to Wear a Mask 8
Bogdan Dumitrica
Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 1.3 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 inch
$1,800
Everybody has the Right to Wear a Mask 7
Bogdan Dumitrica
Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 1.3 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 inch
$1,800
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…