Still life
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Still life in blue and white
Bennett Vadnais
Painting - 43.18 x 27.94 x 5.08 cm Painting - 17 x 11 x 2 inch
$4,039
Still life with green bottle
Bennett Vadnais
Painting - 38.1 x 25.4 x 5.08 cm Painting - 15 x 10 x 2 inch
$4,461
Ma chambre à Etretat - ref BDNW11478
Janie Michels
Painting - 100 x 73 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.4 inch
$4,490
Is it the birth of light painting
Priyanka Chandra
Painting - 122 x 91 x 3 cm Painting - 48 x 35.8 x 1.2 inch
$7,105
Le box à kava
Foucaud Stéphane
Painting - 106 x 105.5 x 4 cm Painting - 41.7 x 41.5 x 1.6 inch
$2,368
Hot touch of the sun
Alexander Shandor
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$6,000
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 22.8 x 29.7 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9 x 11.7 x 0.1 inch
$318
Petit Arrosoir
Aurélie Trabaud
Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.5 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$136
L'heure du thé en Louisiane
Marick
Photography - 19 x 27 x 1 cm Photography - 7.5 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch
$318
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
$227
Big bouquet
Iryna Kastsova
Painting - 90 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,876 $3,489
Spring bouquet
Iryna Kastsova
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,410 $3,069
Silhouettes - 0524
Yann Gaillot
Photography - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$409
Belle
Karim Benchebra
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$4,547
Compotier sur fond sombre
Michel Maly
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$10,011
Etude de fleur : Roses trémières
Eleanor Quellien
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$171
Etude de fleurs : Dalhia
Eleanor Quellien
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$171
La flèche rouge
Sébastien Morasso
Photography - 50 x 75 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0 inch
$273
What more do you want
Max Baris
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$6,366
In the things order
Mikhail Baranovskiy
Painting - 100 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$2,046
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
$830
Naturaleza Suspendida 5
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$455
Naturaleza Suspendida 2
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$455
Naturaleza Suspendida 3
Santiago Carrera
Photography - 30 x 24 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
$455
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
$443
Strawberries in plastic packing
Ekaterina Gasmi
Painting - 110 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch
$8,867
Strawberries on the plate
Ekaterina Gasmi
Painting - 110 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch
$8,867
Promenade au parc
Jocelyne Deschamps-Kus
Painting - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$455
Variation #11 (série méditation)
José Luis Lopez Lara
Painting - 25.7 x 37.7 cm Painting - 10.1 x 14.8 inch
$512
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
Recueillir la rosée
Thaddée
Fine Art Drawings - 12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.9 x 4.9 x 0.1 inch
$159
Orchidée
Thaddée
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 4.9 x 0.1 inch
$171
Bouteille champagne 76-23
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 31 x 10 x 11 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 3.9 x 4.3 inch
$796
Bombe spray Bleu mer
Philippe Buil
Sculpture - 22 x 19 x 14 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 7.5 x 5.5 inch
$682
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…