Still life
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Pink roses
Andranik Harutyunyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$850 $723
Le bleu de Paracelse
Philippe Vercellotti
Painting - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$1,364
Victor et le petit tome vert
Philippe Vercellotti
Painting - 34 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
$1,819
Le secret de la pomme à trois trous
Philippe Vercellotti
Painting - 15 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 5.9 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,364
L'apparition du 102
Philippe Vercellotti
Painting - 25 x 12 x 1 cm Painting - 9.8 x 4.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,137
The angel and the sparrow
Antoine Buttafoghi
Photography - 100 x 80 cm Photography - 39.4 x 31.5 inch
$1,591
Le Rempart de Saint Paul
Véronique Vadon
Painting - 46 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,580
Violon et Violoncelle à Paris - Série Intérieur musical
Michel de Alvis
Painting - 46 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 24 x 0.8 inch
$1,307
Nature morte aux fleurs et pot noir Série La Ville
Michel de Alvis
Painting - 61 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,194
Fleurs sauvages 7
Sébastien Couëffic
Painting - 65 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
$1,705
La corbeille visiteurs
Frieda Mouroum
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$682
Cage / Sans titre
Meteo Meteo
Painting - 29.7 x 21 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$131 $66
Rolling Stones, 1972
James Fortune
Photography - 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.1 cm Photography - 16 x 20 x 0.05 inch
$1,300
Cage / Sans titre
Meteo Meteo
Painting - 29.7 x 21 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$131 $66
Bouquet - fleurs semi-abstrait
Forg
Painting - 100 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch
$1,421
Still life (objects)
Larry Snider
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$341
Sun soaked over the veranda wall
Alec Cumming
Painting - 96 x 96 x 2 cm Painting - 37.8 x 37.8 x 0.8 inch
$4,320
Sans titre
Benoît Mauduech
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
$932
Laure retour de match
Bertrand De Cointet
Painting - 60 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
$818
Everything will be okay
Mihaela Ivanova
Photography - 50 x 50 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$773
Le Roi Des Chefs Et Le Chef Des Rois
Orest Hrytsak
Painting - 130 x 162 x 2.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 63.8 x 1 inch
$26,146
Sunflowers Near The Blue Curtain - sunflowers still life painting
Nikolay Dmitriev
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,137
From the Series Iris flowers, Ritter-Schwertlilie
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$796
Lush Bouquet of Peonies - peonies oil painting
Nikolay Dmitriev
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,250
White peony, Flower on a deep blue background
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$796
Sunflower on a white background
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 29 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$568
Peony, Pink flower on a white background
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 29 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$568
Bouquet fleuri n°4
Anthony Baldachino
Painting - 55 x 38 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15 x 1.2 inch
$1,421
Bouquet fleuri n°2
Anthony Baldachino
Painting - 55 x 38 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15 x 1.2 inch
$1,478
Window view 06 - Seasons
Low Bros
Painting - 70 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
$4,888
Watermelon and Pears
Alexander Shandor
Painting - 50 x 75 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,200
Harmonie d'hortensias bleus
Martine Grégoire
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$1,023
Les pivoines de mon jardin
Martine Grégoire
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$966
Time traveling - limited edition of 22
Valentin Zaharia
Photography - 60 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$510
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…