Still life
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Les flèches de propulseur
Marie Serruya
Photography - 116 x 200 x 2 cm Photography - 45.7 x 78.7 x 0.8 inch
$8,482 $7,209
Tea and Honey
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 20.3 x 40.6 x 1.9 cm Painting - 8 x 16 x 0.75 inch
$800
My Julietta Roses
Isabelle Hirtzig
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$107
Flowers for Lara
Isabelle Hirtzig
Painting - 50 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$130
N° 877 Chessine 3. Le buste.
R. Cavalié
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 32 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch
$611
Fleurs dans un vase, inspiré de Gioviana Garzoni
Catherine Clare
Painting - 114 x 96 x 0.2 cm Painting - 44.9 x 37.8 x 0.1 inch
$1,640
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 15 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.1 inch
$74
Some Type of flowers
Kristina Malashchenko
Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,809
Nature morte confinement 3
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 45 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$509
Welcome to Tahrir
Guilhem Ribart
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,131
Des amours de citrons
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 28 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11 inch
$102
Perfume vase with Japanese chrysanthemum design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
French style vase with Japanese bellflower design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
Gourd-shaped bottle with Japanese palm tree design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.4 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
French style vase in blue
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
English style vase with Japanese oak design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
English style vase with Japanese peony design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
English style vase with Japanese ginkgo design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
French style vase with Japanese bamboo design
Hikaru O
Painting - 50 x 62.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 24.6 x 0 inch
$826
British style vase with Japanese chrysanthemum design
Hikaru O
Painting - 62.5 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 24.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$826
Blue large jar with five bagatelles
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$1,861
Flower poem: Shower of Venus
Jihun Ju
Photography - 59.4 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.4 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$450
Flower poem: Scarlet gyre
Jihun Ju
Photography - 59.4 x 42 x 0.2 cm Photography - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0.1 inch
$450
Flower poem: gravity
Jihun Ju
Photography - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch
$450
Flower, flower, flower
Jihun Ju
Photography - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch
$450
Nature morte et abstraction
Fabien Gäng
Painting - 30 x 24 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch
$565
Fauteuil abandonné
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 48 x 65 x 0.5 cm Photography - 18.9 x 25.6 x 0.2 inch
$509
Nature morte au gramophone
Lionel le Jeune
Photography - 24 x 32 x 0.5 cm Photography - 9.4 x 12.6 x 0.2 inch
$396
Colt 51
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 42 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 16.5 x 0.1 inch
$328
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$74
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$74
Les Sucettes Bisous !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Teatime in the South
Galya Popova
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$3,053
Coquillage des iles du pacifique !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 29 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.4 inch
$102
Hamburger au fromage !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 29 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.4 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$102
Sandwich !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 29 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.4 x 0 inch
$102
Hamburger !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 29 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.4 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$102
Bodegon - El grito
Antonio Martinez Ruiz
Sculpture - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,527
Un bouquet de violette !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 inch
$102
Un câlin de mon Ourson !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Le Pinceau Bisous !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 28 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11 inch
$102
Le pinceau No War !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Le pinceau coup de coeur !
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Ton Orchidée Rose
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 31 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 12.2 inch
$102
Ton Orchidée Mauve
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 31 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 12.2 inch
$102
Tes Géraniums Rouges
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Mon amour - bouquet de Roses
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Vanille-Fraise...
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Un amour de rose
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 22 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 8.7 inch
$102
Crâne
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 15 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.1 inch
$74
Nature Morte, Fruit et Couleurs (1)
Brooke Range
Print - 100 x 80 x 3 cm Print - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$792
Peinture orientée, PLans
Remi Delaplace
Painting - 100 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch
$2,816
New York Lounge Bar - Interior
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 1.9 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.75 inch
$5,800
Whisky & Shadows
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 89.9 x 69.9 x 1.9 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.5 x 0.75 inch
$7,200
Polo Boots & Sticks 02
Amrita Bilimoria
Photography - 71.1 x 57.9 x 0.5 cm Photography - 28 x 22.8 x 0.2 inch
$2,250
Le pinceaux à 10 € !!!
Noël Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 inch
$102
Large blue jar with dots
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$2,488
Large jar with rice plant(Ine) and oak leaves
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$2,488
Large pink jar with flowers and Japanese traditional patterns
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$2,488
Large jar with abstract patterns #1168
Hikaru O
Painting - 149 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 58.7 x 35.4 x 0 inch
$2,488
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…