Still life
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Mantón y mesa con frutas
José Luis Pagador Ponce
Painting - 100 x 73 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 inch
$8,385
Sous la treille
Nadine de Lespinats
Painting - 100 x 70 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch
$2,325
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 23
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Fourth Floor, South
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 128
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 524
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 410
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Letters to the Universe.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$4,807
Lemons and flowers
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$470
Serre-Tête
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 85 x 25 x 20 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 9.8 x 7.9 inch
$8,273
Pomegranate Delight
Sergey Miqayelyan
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$280
Pop Goes the World
Jacinthe Rivard
Painting - 77 x 77 x 4 cm Painting - 30.3 x 30.3 x 1.6 inch
$2,644
Floral Expression
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 73 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,118
Vase of flowers #5
Rachael Dalzell
Painting - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,255
Vase of flowers #3
Rachael Dalzell
Painting - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,255
Cup of coffee and tangerine
Irina Trushkova
Painting - 25 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 9.8 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,565
Burgundy peonies, blue flowers in a vase. Candles and antique table.
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,118
You are my sweet strawberry berry
Lilya Volskaya
Painting - 50 x 60 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,006
Global Warning (Chrome Rose)
Emmanuelle Van Laere NEL-14512
Sculpture - 15 x 15 x 15 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch
$3,801
Lily's Transgression
Elena Chulkova
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,236
Mi escondite de verano
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,466
El pastor ceno pescao
Baptiste Laurent
Painting - 140 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$3,466
Abstract flowers n°2 - Italian painting & frame
Paolo Massimo Abrans
Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$391
Abstract flowers n°1 - Italian painting & frame
Paolo Massimo Abrans
Painting - 47 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 18.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$391
Cherries, apples and flowers
Natalya Mougenot
Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$503
Artist Brushes. still life
Schagen Vita
Painting - 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch
$224
Room interior with a chair and lamp
Schagen Vita
Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,789
Natura morta
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 44.5 x 34.5 x 1 cm Painting - 17.5 x 13.6 x 0.4 inch
$436 $392
Key to all doors.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$6,484
Inner space 2.
Giulnara Khabibulina
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$10,621
Zapatos para que os quiero.
Daniel Sarciat
Painting - 35 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 13.8 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch
$615
Big League Chew
Jacinthe Rivard
Painting - 77 x 77 x 4 cm Painting - 30.3 x 30.3 x 1.6 inch
$2,644 $2,380
Lace Your Boots
Sébastien Boismoreau (BEUS)
Fine Art Drawings - 125 x 99 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 49.2 x 39 x 0 inch
$11,292
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 419
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 50.8 x 76.2 x 0.3 cm Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.1 inch
$2,300
Hotel Chelsea, New York. Room 121
Victoria Cohen
Photography - 67.6 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 26.6 x 40 x 0.1 inch
$3,200
Bottles (Candle Holders)
Andrii Davydenko
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,230
Allumette
Jean-Luc Maniouloux
Sculpture - 45 x 40 x 13 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 15.7 x 5.1 inch
Price upon request
Red Wagon, New Things Series.
Alexander Lufer
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
$3,186
Rencontres Improbables 026 - Rapport de force
Rodolfo Franchi
Photography - 30 x 45 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 inch
$447
Rencontres Improbables 023 - Rêve de poupée
Rodolfo Franchi
Photography - 45 x 30 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 inch
$447
Rencontres Improbables 013 - Fin de soirée
Rodolfo Franchi
Photography - 45 x 30 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 inch
$447
Fruitful Elegance
Karine Harutyunyan
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$600
Nature's Richness in Red
Karine Harutyunyan
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
$600
Untitled
Noyem Khachatryan
Painting - 165 x 123 x 2 cm Painting - 65 x 48.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,124 $1,806
Sweet strawberries
Natalya Mougenot
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$458
Colorful Garden Bouquet
Aram Sevoyan
Painting - 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$250
Still life with Armenian instrument
Anahit Mirijanyan
Painting - 42 x 36 x 2 cm Painting - 16.5 x 14.2 x 0.8 inch
$350
Series “Between Heaven and Earth” - turquoise blue
Nataliia Krykun
Painting - 150 x 200 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch
$11,180
MUCAV
Stefano Mazzolini
Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
$559
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…