Still life
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Interiore 1964
Paolo Ambrosio
Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$225
La flèche rouge
Sébastien Morasso
Photography - 50 x 75 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0 inch
$270
LOVE LOVE 1987 Floride Florida
Peter Stilton
Painting - 16 x 13 x 1 cm Painting - 6.3 x 5.1 x 0.4 inch
$556
Silhouettes - 0524
Yann Gaillot
Photography - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$405
Vase with tea tree design
Hikaru O
Painting - 50 x 62.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 24.6 x 0 inch
$820
Fire from a lighter
Dmytro Bilous
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$169
Bouquet
Gabriel Riesnert
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$506
Un petit bouquet de lilas dans un vase
Gabriel Riesnert
Painting - 16 x 15 x 0.1 cm Painting - 6.3 x 5.9 x 0 inch
$438
Compotier sur fond sombre
Michel Maly
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$9,809
What more do you want
Max Baris
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$6,293
Naturaleza Suspendida 5
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$449
Naturaleza Suspendida 2
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$449
Naturaleza Suspendida 3
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$449
Movie Night
Terrece Beesley
Fine Art Drawings - 66 x 55.9 x 1.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 22 x 0.5 inch
$3,040
Strawberries in plastic packing
Ekaterina Gasmi
Painting - 110 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch
$8,765
Strawberries on the plate
Ekaterina Gasmi
Painting - 110 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch
$8,765
Variation #11 (série méditation)
José Luis Lopez Lara
Painting - 25.7 x 37.7 cm Painting - 10.1 x 14.8 inch
$506
Living rooms with pink walls
Michael Callas
Painting - 100 x 150 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch
$23,000
Bombe spray Bleu mer
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 22 x 19 x 14 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 7.5 x 5.5 inch
$674
Sans titre (#10-13)
Pawel Zak
Photography - 67 x 93 x 0.1 cm Photography - 26.4 x 36.6 x 0 inch
$4,495
Core Curiculum (#16-13)
Pawel Zak
Photography - 67 x 93 x 0.1 cm Photography - 26.4 x 36.6 x 0 inch
$4,495
Gumball machine & red trunk no. 2
Christopher Stott
Painting - 91.44 x 60.96 x 10.16 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 4 inch
$6,163
Gumball machine & red trunk no. 1
Christopher Stott
Painting - 91.44 x 60.96 x 10.16 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 4 inch
$6,162
Oranges with Yellow Pitcher
Kevin Frank
Painting - 45.7 x 55.9 x 3.81 cm Painting - 18 x 22 x 1.5 inch
$7,950
Patterns of Force
Kevin Frank
Painting - 30 x 55.88 x 3.81 cm Painting - 11.8 x 22 x 1.5 inch
$8,458
Oliver no.3
Christopher Stott
Painting - 60.96 x 91.44 x 3.81 cm Painting - 24 x 36 x 1.5 inch
$61,403
1937 Western electric telephone
Christopher Stott
Painting - 101.6 x 38 x 3.81 cm Painting - 40 x 15 x 1.5 inch
$7,425
Le liquide rouge
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 40 x 21 x 20 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 8.3 x 7.9 inch
$1,292
Ton bouquet de fleurs
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 45 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 17.7 inch
$775
Achitecture des mangues
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,686
Campagne et gourmandises
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 1 inch
$1,461
Dream cactus
Catherine Clare
Painting - 55 x 47 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,416 $1,274
Palms of spring
Catherine Clare
Painting - 81 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,607 $1,366
Composition aux groseilles blanches
Sylvie Julkowski-Egard
Painting - 92 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,584
Nature morte aux callistemons et céramique
Catherine Clare
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,798 $1,528
Paravent Le Voyageur 1986 Screen The Traveller
Gilles Le Corre
Painting - 169 x 199 x 0.5 cm Painting - 66.5 x 78.3 x 0.2 inch
$14,046
Lilacs and Zinnias
Peggie Blizard
Painting - 60.96 x 45.72 x 5.08 cm Painting - 24 x 18 x 2 inch
$45,951
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…