Still life
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A son was born in the family
Igor Sventitski
Painting - 115 x 115 x 3 cm Painting - 45.3 x 45.3 x 1.2 inch
$5,023
Still life - yellow flowers
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
Sold
Ink album (Plums)
Zakhar Shevchuk
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$335
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
$6,123
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
$6,122
French vase with Citrus tachibana
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,635
Large blue jar with dots
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$1,635
Large blue jar with dots
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$2,456
Friday morning, six o'clock III
Mihaela Ivanova
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$335
Friday morning, six o'clock II
Mihaela Ivanova
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$335
Friday morning, six o'clock I
Mihaela Ivanova
Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$335 $268
Still life with Armenian motives
Tamar Nazaryan
Painting - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
Sold
Pomegranates with cream background
Hasmik Mamikonyan
Painting - 35 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
$180
Nouilles aux herbes soup
Tarek
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 15 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0 inch
$106
Cascade d' Asie
Ludivine Corominas
Painting - 80 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,679
Fruits and Flowers Fusion
Hayk Miqayelyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,050
Still life with pomegranates
Tamar Nazaryan
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$750
Huitre - série coquillage de mer
Alexandra Baudin
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
$251
Huitre - série coquillage de mer
Alexandra Baudin
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
Sold
Natura morta (Still life)
Gino Severini
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 13 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.1 inch
$11,721
Still life with fruits
Anahit Mirijanyan
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$380
Still life with apricots and duduk
Tamar Nazaryan
Painting - 40 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$600
Silence
Claire Denarie-Soffietti
Painting - 140 x 140 x 5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 2 inch
$13,730
Le vieux pot de peinture bleu - 324
Yannick Bouillault
Sculpture - 34 x 12 x 15 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 4.7 x 5.9 inch
Sold
A Little Pomegranate
Delyafruz Bagirova
Painting - 24 x 18 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.8 inch
$290
Ink album (Jug)
Zakhar Shevchuk
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 7.9 x 0 inch
$335
Still life with onions and hot peppers
Igor Sventitski
Painting - 50 x 70.5 x 1.8 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.8 x 0.7 inch
$2,902
Oliver no.3
Christopher Stott
Painting - 60.96 x 91.44 x 3.81 cm Painting - 24 x 36 x 1.5 inch
$60,999
1928 Underwood portable standard typewriter
Christopher Stott
Painting - 60.96 x 91.44 x 3.81 cm Painting - 24 x 36 x 1.5 inch
$6,100
Blue table still life with fish
Gordon Hopkins
Painting - 120 x 120 x 3.5 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.4 inch
$6,140
Lampe chou Romanesco
Jean Valera
Photography - 75 x 50 x 0.3 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,340
Where Do I Start?
Katrina Avotina
Painting - 20.1 x 20.1 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
$524
99 bottles of beer on the wall
John Kilduff
Painting - 182.9 x 152.4 x 3.8 cm Painting - 72 x 60 x 1.5 inch
$10,600
Portrait of osculating fan while on treadmill
John Kilduff
Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.8 inch
$1,970
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…