Still life
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Us Becoming True
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€490 €245
La Tour Seegmuller - 2
Jean Valera
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.6 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch
€190
Le jardin des délires, l'enfer
Bruno Mallart
Print - 129 x 57 x 3 cm Print - 50.8 x 22.4 x 1.2 inch
€4,500
Nature Morte - Still Life
Robert Labor
Painting - 58 x 85 x 3 cm Painting - 22.8 x 33.5 x 1.2 inch
€18,000
Bouquet of dahlias
Annabell Mozer
Painting - 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
€1,300
Gancho from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
€464
Enchufe from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
€464
Tenedor from Portfolio "Eclipses"
Regina Silveira
Print - 70.1 x 50 x 0 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.01 inch
€464
Pomegranate
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€690 €621
Small White Roses
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 25 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch
€540 €459
Colorful roses
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€650 €553
Rose in Dew
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 70 x 70 x 0.5 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.2 inch
€550 €468
Pink Rhododendron
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€540 €459
Cherry season
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€500 €425
Coral Flowers
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€700 €595
Spring Mood
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€540 €459
Breakfast in the sky
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€760 €646
Spring breakfasat
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch
€540 €459
Spring dandelions
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€500 €425
Flowers in the round vase
Elena Mardashova
Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€700 €595
Light Blue Pillow (Views & Vantage Points)
Theresa Vandenberg Donche
Painting - 81.3 x 81.3 x 3.8 cm Painting - 32 x 32 x 1.5 inch
€2,055
L'amour triomphant
Edmond Li Bellefroid
Painting - 130 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€3,300
Rencontre cascade d'eau
San Zi
Painting - 100 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
€24,105
Naturaleza Geométrica
Delia Solari
Painting - 24 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
€3,718
Bottiglia e matite
Massimiliano Carisdeo
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€600
Still life for bird temple #8
Mark Gaskin
Painting - 53.3 x 61 x 5.1 cm Painting - 21 x 24 x 2 inch
€3,869
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…