Still life

Print, Les pommes, Aimé Barraud

Les pommes

Aimé Barraud

Print - 53 x 45 x 0.3 cm

$695

Painting, Ma muse 1 & 2 (diptyque), ElleK

Ma muse 1 & 2 (diptyque)

ElleK

Painting - 120 x 60 x 3.7 cm

$903

Painting, Potirons en fête, Françoise Laine

Potirons en fête

Françoise Laine

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm

$847

Painting, On a carpet, Marzena Miskiewicz

On a carpet

Marzena Miskiewicz

Painting - 80 x 100 cm

$1,016

Photography, Kanzanchis (Lingering II), Eyoeal Kefyalew

Kanzanchis (Lingering II)

Eyoeal Kefyalew

Photography - 40 x 40 x 1 cm

$903

Fine Art Drawings, Abstract I, Wissam Beydoun

Abstract I

Wissam Beydoun

Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 28 cm

$650

Photography, Renoncules, Anne-Marie Toporkoff

Renoncules

Anne-Marie Toporkoff

Photography - 34 x 50 x 0.2 cm

$1,073

Painting, Buttons and Pear II, Armand Jalut

Buttons and Pear II

Armand Jalut

Painting - 65 x 54 cm

$7,340

Painting, Bouquet de fleurs et coupe de fruits, Raya Safir

Bouquet de fleurs et coupe de fruits

Raya Safir

Painting - 65 x 50 cm

$621

Print, Pomegranates (from the Fruits and Flowers Suite), Donald Sultan

Pomegranates (from the Fruits and Flowers Suite)

Donald Sultan

Print - 58.4 x 55.9 cm

$4,000

Painting, Pepper & salt, Selwyn Senatori

Pepper & salt

Selwyn Senatori

Painting - 120 x 80 x 4 cm

$2,202

Sculpture, Shell#7, Andrii Kyrychenko

Shell#7

Andrii Kyrychenko

Sculpture - 34 x 34 x 22 cm

$6,324

Painting, Still life with yellow, Chris Kamprad

Still life with yellow

Chris Kamprad

Painting - 60 x 50 x 4 cm

$2,034

Fine Art Drawings, Absorbing reading, Pablo Echaurren

Absorbing reading

Pablo Echaurren

Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 28 x 0.2 cm

$1,355

Painting, Sans titre 12, Noon Dessins

Sans titre 12

Noon Dessins

Painting - 115 x 83 x 3 cm

$903

Painting, The three moons, Hasko Hasko

The three moons

Hasko Hasko

Painting - 30 x 30 cm

$1,900

Painting, Still Life With Monkey, Fruits and Flowers, Alexey Golovin

Still Life With Monkey, Fruits and Flowers

Alexey Golovin

Painting - 135 x 105 x 4 cm

$21,004

Painting, Apples, Colin McMaster

Apples

Colin McMaster

Painting - 64 x 54 cm

$3,951

Painting, La grande traversée, Bernard-Marie Lauté

La grande traversée

Bernard-Marie Lauté

Painting - 57.5 x 23 cm

$1,355

Painting, Cavalcade, Toussaint

Cavalcade

Toussaint

Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm

$1,129

Sculpture, Leak, Peter Keizer

Leak

Peter Keizer

Sculpture - 30 x 28 x 26 cm

$2,823

Print, Still Life, Gino Severini

Still Life

Gino Severini

Print - 38 x 51 x 0.1 cm

$2,259

Print, Rivages-visages-paysages du Sepik III., Jacques Doucet

Rivages-visages-paysages du Sepik III.

Jacques Doucet

Print - 66 x 87 cm

$678

Painting, La Chapelle sur Carouge, Bram van Velde

La Chapelle sur Carouge

Bram van Velde

Painting - 100 x 74 x 1 cm

$248,449

Print, Sans titre, Jose Luis Pascual

Sans titre

Jose Luis Pascual

Print - 56 x 76 x 0.02 cm

$452

Painting, Psyché, Mohamed Lekleti

Psyché

Mohamed Lekleti

Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm

$7,905

Fine Art Drawings, Over Colors, Alba Soto

Over Colors

Alba Soto

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 30 cm

$440

Photography, Pharmakon, Juliette Alhmah

Pharmakon

Juliette Alhmah

Photography - 30 x 20 cm

$621

Photography, Give, Edgar Nabla

Give

Edgar Nabla

Photography - 110 x 110 x 0.05 cm

$4,517

Painting, The princess and her dangerous stunt, Anna Bulkina

The princess and her dangerous stunt

Anna Bulkina

Painting - 95 x 119.9 x 2.8 cm

$1,550

Fine Art Drawings, Icarus 15, Edward Shahda

Icarus 15

Edward Shahda

Fine Art Drawings - 54 x 37 cm

$1,700

Painting, Untitled, Barbara Szubinska

Untitled

Barbara Szubinska

Painting - 86.5 x 68.5 cm

$1,468

Painting, Meat #2, Bevan Ramsay

Meat #2

Bevan Ramsay

Painting - 122 x 122 cm

$4,400

Painting, Still Life in Violet, James Keeton

Still Life in Violet

James Keeton

Painting - 61 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm

$900

Print, Composition, Gastone Breddo

Composition

Gastone Breddo

Print - 65.5 x 47 x 0.1 cm

$1,073

Painting, Composition au jeu d'échec, Lia de Fontenelle

Composition au jeu d'échec

Lia de Fontenelle

Painting - 100 x 81 cm

$1,129

Fine Art Drawings, Growing space VII, Gergana Tabakova

Growing space VII

Gergana Tabakova

Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 25 x 0.1 cm

$565

Painting, Souvenir, Françoise Collandre

Souvenir

Françoise Collandre

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm

$5,364

Fine Art Drawings, Orografia 8, Josep María Codina

Orografia 8

Josep María Codina

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 40 x 5 cm

$903

Painting, Mélodie infinie d'amour, Yoël Benharrouche

Mélodie infinie d'amour

Yoël Benharrouche

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm

$12,987

Painting, Les Chemins des Giant, White Shark

Les Chemins des Giant

White Shark

Painting - 60 x 40 x 2 cm

$339

Painting, Dos manchas azules, Pablo Lambertos

Dos manchas azules

Pablo Lambertos

Painting - 60 x 40 x 2.5 cm

$1,366

Painting, Winds Off The Coast, Kevin Sloan

Winds Off The Coast

Kevin Sloan

Painting - 152.4 x 76.2 cm

$11,500

Print, La Bienvenida azul, Rafael Canogar

La Bienvenida azul

Rafael Canogar

Print - 76 x 71 cm

$1,643

Print, Simple magic, James Carter

Simple magic

James Carter

Print - 57 x 76 cm

$198

Painting, Fashion and Fetish, John Michael Kearney

Fashion and Fetish

John Michael Kearney

Painting - 45.5 x 45.5 x 2 cm

$565

Sculpture, In the water No 1, Pamela See

In the water No 1

Pamela See

Sculpture - 35 x 19 x 17 cm

$1,694

Painting, Two bottles, Karin Thaler

Two bottles

Karin Thaler

Painting - 50 x 40 x 1.8 cm

$1,016

Painting, Meeting place I, Lisbeth Sandvall

Meeting place I

Lisbeth Sandvall

Painting - 50 x 50 x 1 cm

$2,259

Print, Dum-Dum Roses, Robert Kulicke

Dum-Dum Roses

Robert Kulicke

Print - 43.2 x 55.9 x 2.5 cm

$2,000

Fine Art Drawings, Still life Rocks 1972 Nature morte Roches, Joseph Salamon

Still life Rocks 1972 Nature morte Roches

Joseph Salamon

Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 25 x 0.3 cm

$2,202

Painting, Aléatoire, Thierry Rouxel

Aléatoire

Thierry Rouxel

Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm

$565

Painting, Jardin, Juan Li

Jardin

Juan Li

Painting - 47 x 36 x 1 cm

$903

Painting, Untitled, Tashko Popov

Untitled

Tashko Popov

Painting - 73 x 90 x 2 cm

$1,039

Print, Botão - Armarinhos, Regina Silveira

Botão - Armarinhos

Regina Silveira

Print - 56 x 76 x 0.02 cm

$565

Photography, Goliath Beetle Open, Samuel Dejong

Goliath Beetle Open

Samuel Dejong

Photography - 50 x 50 cm

$1,412

Print, 1993 Red  Still life with Malevich Rouge, John Dowdridge

1993 Red Still life with Malevich Rouge

John Dowdridge

Print - 33 x 26 x 0.3 cm

$785

Painting, Cesto di mele, Antonella Scolfaro

Cesto di mele

Antonella Scolfaro

Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm

$1,129

Painting, Thé du désert, Ludivine Corominas

Thé du désert

Ludivine Corominas

Painting - 38 x 46 x 2 cm

$1,694

Painting, Berkemeyer, Albert Kechyan

Berkemeyer

Albert Kechyan

Painting - 29 x 30 x 0.8 cm

$1,784

Painting, Blue Mood, Ganna Prymakova

Blue Mood

Ganna Prymakova

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm

$1,395

Painting, Enamel 2, Graeme Smallfield

Enamel 2

Graeme Smallfield

Painting - 58 x 92 cm

$5,929

Painting, Fruits et pots, Louisa Ricci

Fruits et pots

Louisa Ricci

Painting - 60 x 60 x 5 cm

$1,355

Painting, Blue Wisp, Jeff Sippel

Blue Wisp

Jeff Sippel

Painting - 63.5 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm

$1,000

Painting, In the crosshair, Andrei Petkevich

In the crosshair

Andrei Petkevich

Painting - 33 x 88.9 x 2.5 cm

$1,800

Photography, On the Kitchen Table 14, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova

On the Kitchen Table 14

Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova

Photography - 30 x 45 cm

$1,355

Painting, House & gate, Mark Hopkins

House & gate

Mark Hopkins

Painting - 48 x 48 x 10 cm

$1,807

Painting, Monicle, Michael Cusack

Monicle

Michael Cusack

Painting - 46 x 38 cm

$2,765

Print, Pain Killer, Karine Giboulo

Pain Killer

Karine Giboulo

Print - 43.2 x 68.6 x 2.5 cm

$1,650

Painting, Bouquet niçois, Percival Pernet

Bouquet niçois

Percival Pernet

Painting - 64.5 x 51 x 0.3 cm

$614

Painting, Poires, Claudine Picard

Poires

Claudine Picard

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm

$1,129

Painting, La mécanique du cœur N 3, Hélène Zanet

La mécanique du cœur N 3

Hélène Zanet

Painting - 100 x 73 x 2 cm

$2,089

Fine Art Drawings, Glazed terracotta jars with spoon, Karina Lara

Glazed terracotta jars with spoon

Karina Lara

Fine Art Drawings - 34 x 42.5 cm

$960

Painting, Bouquet en fleurs, Gian Rodolfo D'Accardi

Bouquet en fleurs

Gian Rodolfo D'Accardi

Painting - 49 x 34 x 0.5 cm

$602

Painting, Salle d'attente à l'hospice, Jörg Hermle

Salle d'attente à l'hospice

Jörg Hermle

Painting - 33 x 46 x 3 cm

$1,525

Print, Da e per Morandi, Concetto Pozzati

Da e per Morandi

Concetto Pozzati

Print - 100 x 135 x 0.1 cm

$1,107

Fine Art Drawings, Decoration, Tako Chanchaleishvili

Decoration

Tako Chanchaleishvili

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 41 x 0.1 cm

$621

Painting, Table servie, Emilio Mario Beretta

Table servie

Emilio Mario Beretta

Painting - 51 x 72 x 0.3 cm

$1,459

Photography, Boule de papier II, Joseph Caprio

Boule de papier II

Joseph Caprio

Photography - 90 x 60 x 1 cm

$903

Painting, Nature morte au navets et choux, Luigi Venturi

Nature morte au navets et choux

Luigi Venturi

Painting - 34 x 50 x 1 cm

$869

Print, 4 cores, Zdzislaw Wiatr

4 cores

Zdzislaw Wiatr

Print - 17 x 11 cm

$226

Print, Nest of hornets, Rafal Strent

Nest of hornets

Rafal Strent

Print - 64 x 50 x 1 cm

$621

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Davide Cicolani

Sans titre

Davide Cicolani

Fine Art Drawings - 82 x 54 cm

$1,355

Painting, Pianiste, Jeb

Pianiste

Jeb

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm

$791

Sculpture, Visage contre visage, Francis Coffinet

Visage contre visage

Francis Coffinet

Sculpture - 35 x 24 x 2 cm

$2,484

Painting, Bottles 4, Jordi Maragall

Bottles 4

Jordi Maragall

Painting - 54 x 65 x 1 cm

$678

Photography, Tom Crown, John Armleder

Tom Crown

John Armleder

Photography - 45 x 60 x 0.2 cm

$1,073

Print, Seafood, Leonardo Castellani

Seafood

Leonardo Castellani

Print - 69 x 49 x 0.1 cm

$1,073

Painting, Les trois poupées, Luc Michel Schüpfer

Les trois poupées

Luc Michel Schüpfer

Painting - 65 x 54 x 2 cm

$776

Painting, Scène d'intérieur, Monique Marchaisseau

Scène d'intérieur

Monique Marchaisseau

Painting - 92 x 73 x 5 cm

$2,146

Print, Red Poppies, Lowell Nesbitt

Red Poppies

Lowell Nesbitt

Print - 113 x 90.2 x 0.3 cm

$750

Painting, Mémoire Grantique, Flora

Mémoire Grantique

Flora

Painting - 116 x 89 x 2.7 cm

$1,129

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… 

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