Still life
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On the Kitchen Table 6
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 5
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 4
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 2
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 3
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 12
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$2,615
On the Kitchen Table 1
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Photography - 90 x 135 cm Photography - 35.4 x 53.1 inch
$3,979
Poppies - digital still life
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova
Print - 135 x 300 x 0.3 cm Print - 53.1 x 118.1 x 0.1 inch
$3,410
Déjeuner au soleil, Grasse
Claude Schürr
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2.5 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 1 inch
$12,277
Eaux vertes au port Canto, Cannes
Claude Schürr
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 1 inch
$8,185
Parcel for Piglets
Alexander Sviyazov
Sculpture - 23 x 17 x 25 cm Sculpture - 9.1 x 6.7 x 9.8 inch
$12,504
Selfie on a Smartphone
Alexander Sviyazov
Sculpture - 60 x 28 x 18 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 11 x 7.1 inch
$21,599
Doorstep Seni
Alexander Sviyazov
Sculpture - 52 x 36 x 29.3 cm Sculpture - 20.5 x 14.2 x 11.5 inch
$14,778
The Symphony Of Summer
Delyafruz Bagirova
Painting - 70 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,615
Still Life with Eleven Objetcs in a Sphere
Giorgio Morandi
Print - 32.8 x 36.9 x 0.1 cm Print - 12.9 x 14.5 x 0 inch
$45,471
Violon sur le buffet
Raymond Poulet
Painting - 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
$12,504
Soviet Gadget
Alexander (Sandro) Antadze
Painting - 60 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$2,728
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
$557
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
$557
La maison jaune
Jean-Paul Duvilliers
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$171
Fin de journée
Jean-Paul Duvilliers
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
$796
Tulipes en black and white
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
$887
Bouquet blanc
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 21 x 33 x 0.2 cm Photography - 8.3 x 13 x 0.1 inch
$887
Becs de Perroquets
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 36.9 x 24.6 x 0.2 cm Photography - 14.5 x 9.7 x 0.1 inch
$853
Tulipes
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,034
Pivoines
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
$1,069
Bouquet de Gypsophiles
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,114
Still life - omelet
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$120 $102
L'atelier bleu
Giuseppe Piermatteo
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$3,410
The sitting room at castle Ward Co Down. Northern Ireland
Simon Kozhin
Painting - 62.7 x 50.5 x 2 cm Painting - 24.7 x 19.9 x 0.8 inch
$11,300
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
To Step onto the New World
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 30 x 30 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch
$557
Quand la vie chante
Corinne Vilcaz
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$3,297
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
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…