Still life
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The Beauty of Yellow Roses
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$999
Introspection 8
Benedicte Caillat
Painting - 30 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch
$1,230
Evening Fragrances
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 60 x 60 x 10 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 3.9 inch
$1,059
Christmas Morning
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 80 x 60 x 10 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 3.9 inch
$1,192
Still Life with Pomegranates
Stepan Ohanyan
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$199
Alberobello Echoes - 10
Ralouka Montesi
Photography - 45 x 30 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 inch
$755
Alberobello Echoes - 05
Ralouka Montesi
Photography - 70 x 50 cm Photography - 27.6 x 19.7 inch
$1,057
La poire ouverte, lithographie originale
Claude Gaveau
Print - 72 x 56 x 0.3 cm Print - 28.3 x 22 x 0.1 inch
$425 $383
I (Cattleya)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 90 x 120 x 0.1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 47.2 x 0 inch
$1,163
Poppies and Two Jugs
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 59 x 69 x 2 cm Painting - 23.2 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch
$783
Delicate blossom bouquet
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$450
Tulips in february
Roxana Khonkulova
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$783
I Don’t Mean A Thing
Laëtitia Giraud
Painting - 46 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 18.1 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,510
J’ai l’âme nomade
Magdalena Lamri
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$2,550
Calebasse striée
Françoise Danel
Painting - 114 x 146 x 3 cm Painting - 44.9 x 57.5 x 1.2 inch
$4,362
Serenade in Pink
Marieta Martirosyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$999
White tulips on a pink background. Morning, spring
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$727
Blue still life with pomegranates and teapot.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$839
Vase of Velveteen Roses
Kamo Atoyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,100
Delicate and Juicy
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 91 x 91 x 10 cm Painting - 35.8 x 35.8 x 3.9 inch
$2,118
Horse Chestnut Leaves
Ania Pieniazek
Painting - 60 x 80 x 10 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 3.9 inch
$1,192
Wine and Pomegranate Harmony
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
$99
Letters to the Universe.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$4,809
Roses in a Jug
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$895
Wraxwall
Manuel Santelices
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.1 inch
$1,200
Andres Alsina in Paris
Manuel Santelices
Fine Art Drawings - 27.9 x 27.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 11 x 0.1 inch
$950
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Fourth Floor, South
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Hall Way, East
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 101.6 x 67.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 40 x 26.6 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 23
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Fourth Floor, South
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Delicious still life 2.
Iryna Kastsova
Painting - 60 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,946
Mantel y frutas
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 54 x 65 x 3.5 cm Painting - 21.3 x 25.6 x 1.4 inch
$2,796
The Symphony Of Summer
Delyafruz Bagirova
Painting - 70 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,901
The Etude Of Summer
Delyafruz Bagirova
Painting - 70 x 95 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 37.4 x 0.8 inch
$1,901
Vase of flowers #4
Rachael Dalzell
Painting - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,258
Artist Brushes. still life
Schagen Vita
Painting - 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch
$224
Vase of Wild poppies
Arto Mkrtchyan
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$450
Mi escondite de verano
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,467
El pastor ceno pescao
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,467
Key to all doors.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$6,487
Inner space 2.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$10,625
Tulips on a Yellow Table
Arman Hayrapetyan
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,400
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…