Still life
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Still life with onions and hot peppers
Igor Sventitski
Painting - 50 x 70.5 x 1.8 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.8 x 0.7 inch
$2,902
Still life - pomegranate
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 20 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$120
Where Do I Start?
Katrina Avotina
Painting - 20.1 x 20.1 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
$524
Bluebells flowers
Evgeny Chernyakovsky
Painting - 99.8 x 99.8 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.3 x 39.3 x 1 inch
$2,600
Peonies on the dark background
Elena Podmarkova
Painting - 76.2 x 101.6 x 2 cm Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.8 inch
$2,140
Duet of peonies 2
Elena Podmarkova
Painting - 76.2 x 101.6 x 2 cm Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.8 inch
$2,140
Still life with red roses
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 70 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$320
Fleurs du desert
Christiane Papé
Painting - 101.6 x 101.6 x 2 cm Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.8 inch
$2,260
Les corbeaux volent sur le dos
Lionel Morateur
Print - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$307
Still life with cherries and peaches
Narek Qochunc
Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$280
Still life with lilacs
Simon Kozhin
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$10,605
Des fleurs pour Algernon
Cédric Quissola
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$1,060
Créateur d'étoiles
Cédric Quissola
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$1,060
Still life with bird and fan
Ara Gasparyan
Painting - 35 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$300
The sitting room at castle Ward Co Down. Northern Ireland
Simon Kozhin
Painting - 62.7 x 50.5 x 2 cm Painting - 24.7 x 19.9 x 0.8 inch
$11,300
Still life with plainair
Simon Kozhin
Painting - 75 x 87.5 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 34.4 x 0.8 inch
$9,500
Still life with bird and grape
Ara Gasparyan
Painting - 35 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$300
Try to Wear Me
Nino Eliashvili
Fine Art Drawings - 68 x 53 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 26.8 x 20.9 x 0 inch
$2,791
Séries Nature Morte No.3
Qing-Chun Diao
Painting - 80 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
$2,344
Series Nature Morte No.2
Qing-Chun Diao
Painting - 80 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
$2,344
Series Nature Morte No.1
Qing-Chun Diao
Painting - 100 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
$2,344
Cup with Strawberries
Zhang Wei Guang
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$9,488
Le don de lumière
Olivier Rebecq
Photography - 50 x 75 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0.4 inch
$647
Fritillaria drenovskii
Lyuben Domozetski
Painting - 32 x 24 x 0.2 cm Painting - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0.1 inch
$391
Provencal bouquet
Carol Steinberg
Painting - 108 x 108 x 5.1 cm Painting - 42.5 x 42.5 x 2 inch
$3,575
Plums with a cup
Albert Kechyan
Painting - 30.5 x 35.1 x 0.8 cm Painting - 12 x 13.8 x 0.3 inch
$3,746
Cocktail - with gold embellishment
Ruslana Levandovska
Painting - 76.2 x 61 x 1.9 cm Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.75 inch
$3,200
Still life with pomegranates
Sergey Miqayelyan
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$220
In the art workshop
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 70.1 x 59.9 x 3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$3,715
In the garden
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 59.9 x 59.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1 inch
$3,660
Pears. Evening
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 59.9 x 70.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 1 inch
$3,770
Artist's workshop
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 70.1 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$3,950
Still life with fish
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 55.1 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch
$4,310
Pears - apples. first glance
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 40.1 x 45 x 1.8 cm Painting - 15.8 x 17.7 x 0.7 inch
$2,820
Pears - Apples. second glance
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 40.1 x 45 x 1.8 cm Painting - 15.8 x 17.7 x 0.7 inch
$2,850
Pomegranate boom
Ganna Prymakova
Painting - 40.1 x 45 x 1.8 cm Painting - 15.8 x 17.7 x 0.7 inch
$2,820
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…