Still life
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Us Becoming True
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$547 $273
La maison jaune
Jean-Paul Duvilliers
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$167
Fin de journée
Jean-Paul Duvilliers
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
$781
Correspondences
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 100 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
$4,688 $3,985
Coffee & Cigarettes
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 80 x 90 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch
$3,460 $2,941
The Real Clouds
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 60 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$2,344 $1,993
Objectivity
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 83 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 32.7 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch
$2,846 $2,420
Males & Females
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 80 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
$2,679 $2,277
The Dispute
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 60 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$2,344 $1,993
Multiethnic Family
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$3,126
Gancho from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
$480
Enchufe from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
$480
Tenedor from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
$480
Coffee & Cigarette 4
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 80 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$3,237
Moment
Taiwo Samuel Olutimileyin
Painting - 121.9 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 48 x 1 inch
$2,250
Walnuts with a bronze mortar
Albert Kechyan
Painting - 27.9 x 36.8 x 0.8 cm Painting - 11 x 14.5 x 0.3 inch
$3,746
Vintage Abundance
Shahen Aleksandryan
Painting - 70 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$3,600
A woman's mirror - Top view 2
Dzovig Arnelian
Painting - 60 x 49 x 0.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.3 x 0.2 inch
$550
Still life with lemon and pomegranate
Simon Kozhin
Painting - 13 x 25 x 2 cm Painting - 5.1 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch
$3,000
Still life with flowers
Simona Tsvetkova
Painting - 40 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,395
A woman's mirror - Top View
Dzovig Arnelian
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch
$550 $385
Rencontre cascade d'eau
San Zi
Painting - 100 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
$26,908
A summary report of the yelcho expedition to the antarctic, 1909-1910.
Jessica Houston
Painting - 22.9 x 30.5 x 5.1 cm Painting - 9 x 12 x 2 inch
$2,009
Absurdity in hyperspace
Psy-Pix
Painting - 120 x 100 x 4.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.8 inch
$3,047
Italian Composition
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 100 x 120 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch
$5,581 $4,744
Composition 2
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 60 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$2,344 $1,993
Still Life with Pink Tulips and an Opalina Vase, Antwerp
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with a White Tulip and a Green Opalina Vase, Antwerp
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with Tulips, and a Pale Blue Opalina Vase, Antwerp
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with Tulips, a Ladder and a Yellow Opalina Vase, Antwerp
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with a shell and a rope, Paris
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with a Wooden Hanger, Antwerp
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still life with a Broken Vase, n.d.
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
Still Life with a Coral Branch and a Crystal Globe, NYC, 2002
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
One Pink Rose, n.d.
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 91.4 x 61 x 0.3 cm Photography - 36 x 24 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
O, Hyacinthus (Diptych)
Michael James O'Brien
Photography - 76.2 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$5,000
How Lucky to Have a Rear Window View
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$547
How do you Think I Feel?
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$547
La Tour Seegmuller - 2
Jean Valera
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.6 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch
$212
Wrapping Bonbon Peint 'Bagatelle'
Laurence Jenkell
Sculpture - 80 x 27 x 20 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 10.6 x 7.9 inch
$33,488
Le jardin des délires, l'enfer
Bruno Mallart
Print - 129 x 57 x 3 cm Print - 50.8 x 22.4 x 1.2 inch
$5,023
Nature Morte - Still Life
Robert Labor
Painting - 58 x 85 x 3 cm Painting - 22.8 x 33.5 x 1.2 inch
$20,093
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…