Still life
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Still Life With Sunflowers
Tanya Grinevich
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$2,679
Variations sur la Knautia collina Jord.
Sophie Zénon
Photography - 60 x 150 x 3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 59.1 x 1.2 inch
$16,744
Gentiana lutea L.
Sophie Zénon
Photography - 137 x 97 x 3 cm Photography - 53.9 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch
$15,628
Still life with bird and sailboat
Ara Gasparyan
Painting - 35 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$320
Quintet of elegance
Arayik Murdaynan
Painting - 20 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch
$320
Still life with fishes
Arayik Murdaynan
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$450
Rethinking Botany: Crocus
Tanya Sviatlichnaya
Painting - 39 x 27 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0 inch
$580
Rethinking Botany: Cyclamen
Tanya Sviatlichnaya
Painting - 39 x 27 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0 inch
$580
Vil-stt-trous
Dominique Genty
Photography - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$558
Achitecture des mangues
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,674 $1,507
Campagne et gourmandises
Catherine Clare
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 1 inch
$1,451
Introspection 2/2
Benedicte Caillat
Painting - 40 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch
$1,395
Les oignons
Christoff Debusschere
Painting - 65 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$4,465
Ils mangent de la brioche
Marie Rauzy
Painting - 53 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 20.9 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch
$3,572
Cubist Still Life 2
Juan Jose Abella
Painting - 100 x 81 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.4 inch
$2,791
Still life with a granate
Julia Marchlewska
Painting - 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,791
White Still
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Orange Still
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Erotic Maniac
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Three dry pink-orange roses
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Venice
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Red Flowers and Buddha
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
IV (Lilium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 16.9 x 0 inch
$313
V (Anemone)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 53 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$313
XXIII (Atriplex)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 44 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 17.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$246
VI (Hibiscus)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 48 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 18.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$313
IX (Lilium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 16.9 x 0 inch
$447
VIII (Taraxacum)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 53 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 20.9 x 0 inch
$447
X (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$480
XI (Kohleria)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 45 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 17.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$447
XII (Hibiscus)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 48 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 18.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$447
XVI (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 51 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.1 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$246
XXVI (Thunbergia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 55 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 21.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$246
XIX (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 38 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$212
XV (Fuchsia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 50 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$212
XIII (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 47 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 18.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$212
XXII (Cymbidium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$212
III (Begonia)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 53 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.9 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$313
VII (Cymbidium)
Zornitsa Gramkova
Photography - 40 x 53 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 20.9 x 0 inch
$313
In Memory of Zoltan
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with Grapes
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 64.8 x 80 x 0.3 cm Photography - 25.5 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with a Green Bug
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with Shells
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with a Pink Bird
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with Black Pearls
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Still Life with Tomatoes
Zoltan Gerliczki
Photography - 80 x 64.8 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 inch
$2,200
Ruby of the Orchard: Still Life
Arayik Murdaynan
Painting - 40 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
$199
Blossom and bird song
Arevik Gasparyan
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$300 $255
La ville, Les maisons, Les Visages (7)
Morten Schelde
Print - 28 x 21.5 cm Print - 11 x 8.5 inch
$167
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…