What is still life?
Still life (from the French nature morte - “dead nature”) is a genre of art depicting inanimate objects in a specially created composition.
Let's take a closer look at what a still life is and what types it can be divided into.
Dutch still life from the 17th century
In the Dutch still life of this era, for the most part, measured, seemingly frozen life was captured.
At this time in Holland, still life as a genre developed quite intensively, which was facilitated by various factors. At this time the level was high scientific development in mathematics, physics, natural sciences, social sciences. Sailors brought many new items from abroad, new technologies for making various things emerged, and many different beautiful goods were displayed in the windows.
There are two types of popular still lifes at this time - floral and scientist.
Flower still life
Since the 40s In the 17th century, still life began to develop as an independent genre. Its popularity is easily explained: at that time it was considered traditional to have luxurious gardens and to actively grow flowers.
Representatives: Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Balthasar van der Ast, Jan David de Hem.
Scientist still life
It is considered an intellectual type of still life. To understand such a still life, a person needs to understand the Bible and religious symbolism. This genre often uses illusions to create optical illusions. They gained the greatest popularity in the middle of the 17th century in Holland and abroad.
Popular artists include the following: Jacob de Geyn the Younger, Floris van Dyck, Hans van Essen, Amborius Bosschaert the Elder and the Younger, Clara Peters, David Bayly, Maria van Oosterwijk, Cornelis Briese, Abraham Mignon, Willem van Aalst, Jan van Huysum.
Still life in Russia XVIII-XX centuries.
How the still life genre took shape in Russia in early XVIII V. Until the 19th century, it was considered a lower genre; it was understood in a limited way, mainly as a simple composition, for example, a setting of fruits and flowers. Initially, still life depicted gifts of the sea and land, various things.
In the 20th century, this genre rose a notch higher; this was the time of its heyday in Russia. The search for new colors, shapes, and compositions began. Within literally 15 years, still life changed from impressionism to abstract art.
In the 30-40s. In the twentieth century, the development of the genre slowed down a bit, but in the 50s there was a new rise, and still life strengthened its position among other painting genres.
Russian artists working at this time: Pyotr Konchalovsky, Viktor Teterin, Sergei Zakharov, Nikolai Pozdneev, Ilya Meshkov, Konstantin Korovin, Sergei Osipov, Maya Kopytseva, Evgenia Antipova, Yaroslav Krestovsky, Kapitolina Rumyantseva, etc.
Still life of the XX-XXI centuries.
Still life in this era is a wide field for experimentation. This genre develops in various areas:
Now, knowing what a still life is, if you wish, you can practice in this genre. You will also find this article useful useful materials you will find in the section.
Still life, genre of fine art
In the 19th century the fate of still life was determined by leading masters of painting, who worked in many genres and involved still life in the struggle aesthetic views And artistic ideas(F. Goya in Spain, E. Delacroix, G. Courbet, E. Manet in France). Among the 19th century masters who specialized in this genre, A. Fantin-Latour (France) and W. Harnett (USA) also stand out. The new rise of still life painting was associated with the performance of the masters of post-impressionism, for whom the world of things became one of the main themes (P. Cezanne, V. van Gogh). Since the beginning of the 20th century. still life is a kind of creative painting laboratory. In France, the masters of Fauvism (A. Matisse and others) follow the path of heightened identification of the emotional and decorative-expressive capabilities of color and texture, and representatives of Cubism (J. Braque, P. Picasso, X. Gris, etc.), using the inherent in the specifics of still life, artistic and analytical possibilities, strive to establish new ways of conveying space and form. Still life also attracts masters of other movements (A. Kanoldt in Germany, G. Morandi in Italy, S. Lucian in Romania, B. Kubista and E. Filla in the Czech Republic, etc.). Social trends in still life painting of the 20th century are represented by the works of D. Rivera and D. Siqueiros in Mexico, R. Guttuso in Italy.
In Russian art still life appeared in the 18th century. together with the establishment of secular painting, reflecting the cognitive pathos of the era and the desire to truthfully and accurately convey the objective world (the “tricks” of G. N. Teplov, P. G. Bogomolov, T. Ulyanov, etc.). Further development Russian still life painting for a considerable time was episodic in nature. Its slight rise in the first half of the 19th century. (F. P. Tolstoy, school of A. G. Venetsianov, I. T. Khrutsky) is associated with the desire to see beauty in the small and ordinary. In the second half of the 19th century. I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, V. I. Surikov, V. D. Polenov, I. I. Levitan only occasionally turned to still life of a sketch nature; auxiliary meaning of still life in artistic system The Wanderers followed from their idea of the dominant role of the plot-thematic picture. The independent significance of the still life sketch increases by turn of the 19th century and 20th centuries (M. A. Vrubel, V. E. Borisov-Musatov). The heyday of Russian still life occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. His best examples include the impressionistic works of K. A. Korovin, I. E. Grabar; works of artists from the “World of Art” (A. Ya. Golovin and others) subtly playing up the historical and everyday nature of things; acute decorative images P. V. Kuznetsov, N. N. Sapunov, S. Yu. Sudeikin, M. S. Saryan and other painters of the “Blue Rose” circle; bright, imbued with the fullness of being, still lifes of the masters of the “Jack of Diamonds” (P. P. Konchalovsky, I. I. Mashkov, A. V. Kuprin, V. V. Rozhdestvensky, A. V. Lentulov, R. R. Falk, N. S. Goncharova). Soviet still life, developing in line with art socialist realism, is enriched with new content. In the 20-30s. it includes philosophical understanding modernity in works heightened in composition (K. S. Petrov-Vodkin), and thematic “revolutionary” still lifes (F. S. Bogorodsky and others), and attempts to again tangibly find the “thing” rejected by the so-called non-objective people through experiments in the field of color and textures (D.P. Shterenberg, N.I. Altman), and a full-blooded recreation of the colorful richness and diversity of the objective world (A.M. Gerasimov, Konchalovsky, Mashkov, Kuprin. Lentulov, Saryan, A.A. Osmerkin, etc. ), as well as the search for subtle coloristic harmony, poeticization of the world of things (V.V. Lebedev, N.A. Tyrsa, etc.). In the 40-50s. still lifes that are significantly diverse in style, reflecting significant features modern eras, created by P.V. Kuznetsov, Yu.I. Pimenov and others. In the 60-70s. P. P. Konchalovsky, V. B. Elkonik, V. F. Stozharov, A. Yu. Nikich are actively working in still life. Among the masters of still life in the Union republics, A. Akopyan in Armenia, T. F. Narimanbekov in Azerbaijan, L. Svemp and L. Endzelina in Latvia, N. I. Kormashov in Estonia stand out. The tendency towards increased “objectivity” of the image, the aestheticization of the world of things around a person, led to an interest in still life among young artists of the 70s and early 80s. (Ya. G. Anmanis, A. I. Akhaltsev, O. V. Bulgakova, M. V. Leis, etc.).
Lit.: B. R. Vipper, The problem and development of still life. (The Life of Things), Kazan, 1922; Yu. I. Kuznetsov, Western European still life, L.-M., 1966; M. M. Rakova, Russian still life late XIX- beginning of the 20th century, M., 1970; I. N. Pruzhan, V. A. Pushkarev, Still life in Russian and Soviet painting. L., ; Yu. Ya. Gerchuk, Living Things, M., 1977; Still life in European painting XVI - early XX centuries. Catalog, M., 1984; Sterling Ch., La nature morte de l'antiquité a nos jours, P., 1952; Dorf B., Introduction to still-life and flower painting, L., 1976; Ryan A., Still-life painting techniques, L. , 1978.
In a sweltering country summer or in a lingering blizzard. Without leaving home, you can find inspiration in ordinary fruits or unusual flowers. The subject does not try to turn its head, as in a portrait, and does not change shadows to light every second, as in a landscape. That’s what’s good about the still life genre. And “dead nature” translated from French, or “ quiet life things" in the Dutch version, really enlivens the interior. Natalya Letnikova presents the top 7 still lifes by Russian artists.
"Forest violets and forget-me-nots"
Forest violets and forget-me-nots
The painting by Isaac Levitan seems blue sky and a white cloud - from the singer of Russian nature. Only on the canvas is not native open spaces, but a bouquet of wildflowers. Dandelions, lilacs, cornflowers, immortelle, ferns and azaleas... The artist’s workshop after the forest turned into “either a greenhouse or flower shop" Levitan loved flower still lifes and taught his students to see both color and inflorescences: “They should smell not of paint, but of flowers.”
"Apples and Leaves"
Apples and leaves
The works of Ilya Repin organically set off the brilliant setting of the Russian Museum. The Itinerant artist composed a composition for his student, Valentin Serov. It turned out so picturesque that the teacher himself took up the brush. Six apples from an ordinary garden - bruised and with “barrels”, and a heap of leaves, tattered autumn colors, as a source of inspiration.
“Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes"
Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes
Painting by Ivan Kramskoy. "It won't talented person spend time on depicting, say, basins, fish, etc. This is good to do for people who already have everything, but we have a lot to do,” Kramskoy wrote to Vasnetsov. And yet, at the end of his life, the famous portrait painter did not ignore the genre of still life. A bouquet of phlox in a glass vase was presented at the XII traveling exhibition. The painting was bought before the opening day.
"Still life"
Still life
Kazimir Malevich on the way to the “Black Square” through impressionism and cubism, bypassing realism. Fruit bowl - fruit creative quests, even within the same picture: thick black lines of the French cloisonné technique, flat dishes and voluminous fruit. All components of the picture are united only by color. Characteristic of an artist - bright and rich. Like a challenge to pastel colors real life.
"Herring and Lemon"
Herring and lemon
Four children and painting. This combination in the life of an artist unmistakably dictates the genre. This is what happened with Zinaida Serebryakova. Numerous family portraits and still lifes from which you can create a menu: “Fruit Basket”, “Asparagus and Strawberries”, “Grapes”, “Fish on Greens”... In the hands of a true master, “herring and lemon” will become a work of art. Poetry and simplicity: spiral lemon peel and fish without any frills.
"Still life with samovar"
Still life with samovar
A student of Serov, Korovin and Vasnetsov, “Jack of Diamonds” - Ilya Mashkov loved to portray the world around us, yes brighter. Porcelain figurines and begonias, pumpkins... Meat, game - in the spirit of the old masters, and Moscow bread - sketches from the Smolensk market of the capital. And according to Russian tradition, where would we be without a samovar? A still life from the area of festive life with fruits and bright dishes is complemented by a skull - a reminder of the frailty of life.
"Study with medals"
Study with medals
Still life in Soviet style. The 20th century artist Anatoly Nikich-Krilichevsky showed in one painting the entire life of the first Soviet world champion in speed skating, Maria Isakova. With cups, behind each of which are years of training; medals that were won in a bitter struggle; letters and huge bouquets. Beautiful picture for the artist and an artistic chronicle of sporting successes. Still life story.
What a strange painting this is - still life: it makes you admire a copy of those things whose originals you cannot admire.
Blaise Pascal
And really, have you ever looked at the fruit from the kitchen table? Well... except when you were hungry, right? But you can admire a picture with a fruit arrangement or a luxurious bouquet of flowers for hours. This is precisely the special magic of still life.
Translated from French, still life means "dead nature"(nature morte). However, this is only a literal translation.
In fact still life- this is an image of motionless, frozen objects (flowers, vegetables, fruits, furniture, carpets, etc.). The first still lifes are found on the frescoes of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Still life (fresco from Pompeii) 63-79, Naples, National Gallery Capodimonte. Author unknown.
When a friend came to visit a Roman, the rules good manners they demanded that the owner of the house show the best of his silverware. This tradition is clearly reflected in the still life from the tomb of Vestorius Priscus in Pompeii.
In the center of the composition is a vessel for mixing wine and water, the embodiment of the god of fertility Dionysus-Liber. On both sides of the golden table there are jugs, scoops, and wine horns symmetrically placed.
However, still life is not only fruits, vegetables and flowers, but also... a human skull, designed to reflect transience human life. This is exactly how proponents of the “Vanitas” genre, representatives of the early stage of the development of still life, imagined still life.
An outstanding example is an allegorical still life Dutch artist Willem Claes Heda, where a pipe is depicted next to the skull - a symbol of the elusiveness of earthly pleasures, a glass vessel - a reflection of the fragility of life, keys - a symbol of the power of a housewife managing supplies. The knife symbolizes the vulnerability of life, and the brazier, in which the coals are barely glowing, means its extinction.
Vanity of vanities. Vanitas, 1628, Willem Claes Heda.
Willem Heda is rightly called "master of breakfast" With the help of an interesting arrangement of food, dishes and kitchen utensils, the artist surprisingly accurately conveyed the mood of the paintings. And his skill in depicting reflections of light on the perfectly smooth surfaces of silver bowls and glass goblets amazed even the artist’s eminent contemporaries.
It’s incredible how accurately and delicately Heda was able to convey every little detail: the play of light, the features of shape, the colors of objects. All the Dutchman’s paintings contain mystery, poetry, and sincere admiration for the world of objects.
Still lifes of famous artists
Still life was often fascinated famous artists. It is about the masters of the brush and their amazing works that I will tell you next.
Pablo Picasso is the most expensive artist in the world
Unique and inimitable - this is what they call an outstanding Spanish artist XX century Pablo Picasso. Each work of the author is a tandem of original design and genius.
Still life with a bouquet of flowers, 1908
Still life with bulbs, 1908
In addition to the traditionally perfect realistic, filled with light and bright colors, or gloomy still lifes made in bluish-gray tones, Picasso was fond of cubism. The artist arranged objects or characters in his paintings into small geometric shapes.
And although art critics did not recognize Picasso’s cubism, now his works are selling well and are owned by the richest collectors in the world.
Guitar and sheet music, 1918
Eccentric Vincent Van Gogh
Along with the famous Starry Night, the series of paintings with sunflowers became a unique symbol of Van Gogh's work. The artist planned to decorate his house in Arles with sunflowers for the arrival of his friend Paul Gauguin.
“The skies are a delightful blue. The sun's rays are pale yellow. This is a soft, magical combination of sky blue and yellow tones from the paintings of Vermeer of Delft... I cannot paint something so beautiful...”- Van Gogh said doomedly. Perhaps this is why the artist painted sunflowers countless times.
Vase with 12 sunflowers, 1889
Unhappy love, poverty and rejection of his work prompt the artist to crazy actions and significantly undermine his health. But about painting talented artist persistently wrote: “Even if I fall ninety-nine times, I will still get up the hundredth time.”
Still life with red poppies and daisies. Auvers, June 1890.
Irises. Saint-Rémy, May 1890
The all-encompassing still lifes of Paul Cézanne
“I want to return eternity to nature”- the great French artist Paul Cezanne liked to repeat. The artist depicted not the random play of light and shadow, which did not change, but the constant characteristics of objects.
In an effort to show objects from all sides, he describes them in such a way that the viewer admires the still life, as if from different angles. We see the table from above, the tablecloth and fruit from the side, the box in the table from below, and the jug from different sides at the same time.
Peaches and pears, 1895
Still life with cherries and peaches, 1883-1887.
Still lifes by contemporary artists
The palette of colors and a wide variety of shades allows today's still life masters to achieve incredible realism and beauty. Do you want to admire the impressive paintings of talented contemporaries?
Briton Cecil Kennedy
It is impossible to take your eyes off the paintings of this artist - his forbs are so enchanting! Mmmm... I think I can already smell these amazing beautiful flowers. And you?
Cecil Kennedy is rightfully considered the most outstanding British artist modernity. Winner of several prestigious awards and favorite of many “ powerful of the world this,” Kennedy nevertheless became famous only when he was well over 40.
Belgian artist Julian Stappers
Information about the life of the Belgian artist Julian Stappers is scarce, which cannot be said about his paintings. The artist's cheerful still lifes are in the collections of the richest people in the world.
Gregory Van Raalte
Contemporary American artist Gregory Van Raalte special attention pays attention to the play of light and shadow. The artist is convinced that light should not fall directly, but through the forest, tree leaves, flower petals, or reflected from the surface of the water.
The talented artist lives in New York. He enjoys painting still lifes using watercolor technique.
Iranian artist Ali Akbar Sadeghi
Ali Akbar Sadeghi is one of the most successful Iranian artists. In his works, he skillfully combines the compositions of traditional Iranian paintings, Persian cultural myths with iconography and the art of stained glass.
Still lifes by contemporary Ukrainian artists
Whatever you say, Ukrainian brush masters have their own unique vision of His Majesty’s still life. And now I will prove it to You.
Sergei Shapovalov
The paintings of Sergei Shapovalov are colorful sunny bunnies. Each of his masterpieces is filled with light, goodness and love for native land. The artist was born in the village of Ingulo-Kamenka, Novgorodkovsky district, Kirovograd region.
Sergei Shapovalov is an Honored Artist of Ukraine, a member of the National Union of Artists.
Igor Derkachev
Ukrainian artist Igor Derkachev was born in 1945 in Dnepropetrovsk, where he still lives. For twenty-five years he attended the art studio of the House of Culture for Students named after. Yu. Gagarin, first as a student, and then as a teacher.
The artist’s paintings are pierced with warmth, love for native traditions and gifts of nature. This special warmth is transmitted through the author’s paintings to all fans of his work.
Victor Dovbenko
According to the author, his still lifes are a mirror own feelings and moods. In bouquets of roses, in scatterings of cornflowers, asters and dahlias, in “fragrant” forest paintings- a unique summer aroma and priceless gifts of the rich nature of Ukraine.
What is still life?
Still life is a genre of painting that depicts inanimate nature. The genre originated in the 17th century.
Still life is, first of all, surprising and interesting because it makes people see beauty and harmony in everyday, boring things that constantly surround us, but do not attract our attention.
The genre is not as simple as it seems at first glance: in most of these paintings, artists use allegory - they try through a certain set of objects, their arrangement, selected colors, general composition tell people something important, convey what worries them, tell them about their feelings and thoughts.
Despite the gloomy translation "dead nature", the canvases are often full of bright colors, delighting the viewer with their originality and whimsicality, awakening the desire to live and admire the world around us, to see the beauty in it.
There are many types and subtypes of still life, for example, plot-thematic, creative, educational-creative, educational. They are also divided according to the colors used, illumination, coloring, execution time, location, etc.
The founders of still life as independent genre Dutch steel and Flemish artists. Initially, the paintings appeared in religious use. Also in the era of the birth of the genre, paintings of a dark nature with deep philosophical meaning And dark tones, in the center of the composition, which included skulls, candles and some other attributes. Then, gradually developing, the genre absorbed more and more new directions and over and over again received more and more widespread in all circles of society. Flowers, books, vegetables and fruits, seafood, dishes and other household items - everything is reflected in art. One of the most famous artists Still life artists were Ambrosius Buschaert, Miguel Parra, Jan Brueghel, Joseph Launer, Severin Rosen, Edward Ladell, Jan Davids de Hem, Willem van Aalst, Cornelis Briese.
Cezanne, Paul. Still life with pomegranate and pears. 1885-1890 
Cezanne, Paul. Still life with apples and oranges. 1895-1900
In Russia, the genre arose at the beginning of the 18th century, but no one seriously studied it; it was considered a “lower” genre. At the beginning of the 20th century, still life painting reached its greatest flourishing; artists created their masterpieces, set new goals for themselves and reached untold peaks in skill, used unusual techniques, selected new images. Russian still life, unlike Western ones, did not develop gradually, but in at an accelerated pace. Working in this genre, such Russian artists as K. Petrov-Vodkin, I. Levitan, I.F. became famous. Khrutsky, V. Nesterenko, I.E. Grabar, M. Saryan, A. Osmerkin, P.P. Konchalovsky, S.E. Zakharov, S.I. Osipov and many others.
I. Levitan 
I. Levitan
IN modern painting still life is undergoing a new rise and now firmly takes its rightful place among other genres fine arts. Now this is one of the most popular areas in painting. Having a huge number of opportunities for self-realization in creativity, artists paint a wide variety of still lifes. And viewers, in turn, buy paintings, decorate their interiors with them, enlivening their home and bringing comfort and joy into it. Museums are constantly being replenished with still lifes, more and more new exhibitions are opening in various cities and countries, which attract crowds of spectators interested in art. Several centuries later, having gone through a long, full-fledged path of development, still life is still relevant and has not lost its significance in world painting.