Still life
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Objects that are not Covered
Andrea Vandoni
Painting - 60 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
$1,510
Limones. From "Bodegon" Series
Dora Franco
Photography - 53 x 80 x 0.2 cm Photography - 20.9 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$1,750
Abstract Elene n°427
Harry James Moody
Painting - 152.4 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm Painting - 60 x 48 x 2 inch
$11,500
Abstract with Sky-Blue n°387
Harry James Moody
Painting - 101.6 x 76.2 x 5.1 cm Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 inch
$5,200
What the rose tell me
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 30 x 25 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,118
A bright still life with pomegranates and lemons
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 60 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$1,342
Flowering branches in a white mug
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 36 x 43 x 2 cm Painting - 14.2 x 16.9 x 0.8 inch
$1,792
Basket with tangerines
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,790
Stillife with watermelon and cactus
Olga Afanasiadi
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,398
Stillife with kaals
Olga Afanasiadi
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 1 inch
$1,790
Still life
Dali Nazarishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 36 x 46 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.2 x 18.1 x 0 inch
$2,237
Coffee cup on pink tablecloth
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$895
Still life with pomegranates
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,118
Spanish interior - figurative oil stillife
Olga Afanasiadi
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,342
Stillife with musical instruments
Olga Afanasiadi
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,790
Stillife with flowers
Olga Afanasiadi
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,790
Red and white peonies in the style of Dutch masters
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 60 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.6 inch
$1,118
Still life with milk and lemon
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 30 x 24 x 1.8 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.7 inch
$1,342
Spring Bouquet 2021 #2
Anyck Alvarez Kerloch
Painting - 91.4 x 63.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 25 x 1 inch
$1,340
Tulips on Black
Anyck Alvarez Kerloch
Painting - 88.9 x 71.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35 x 28 x 1 inch
$1,140
Tea Time
Anyck Alvarez Kerloch
Painting - 91.9 x 54.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 21.6 x 1 inch
$1,525
Gladiolus still life painting
Le anh Tuan
Painting - 80 x 59.9 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$2,000
Lilac
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 89.9 x 100.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch
$2,350
Types of Boobs
Tamta Chachanidze
Painting - 80 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$2,013
Paisaje de Hongos
Dora Franco
Photography - 60 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$1,750
SAINT TROPEZ, LE SUD A MA FENETRE
Sophie Petetin
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 1 inch
$1,342
Soviet Phone
Alexander (Sandro) Antadze
Painting - 50 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,790
Green Phone
Alexander (Sandro) Antadze
Painting - 50 x 70 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch
$2,237
Taylor Swift's "House of Bacchus" ("La Cave de Bacchus")
Christian Jodin
Painting - 60 x 120 x 1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.4 inch
$895
Coliflores y brócoli
Dora Franco
Photography - 60 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$1,750
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
$324
Télévision et branches mortes
Xiaoping Liu
Painting - 60 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$3,691
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…