Still Life has been one of the most popular genres through the art history. Since the ancient times, there are some representations related with it is also called “nature morte”. But what is “still life” and why has been so important and relevant to the point that even modern and contemporary art has explore the formal and conceptural characteristics of this art genre?
According to the dictionary of art terms made by the Tate, still life: “includes all kinds of man-made or natural objects, cut flowers, fruit, vegetables, fish, game, wine and so on. Still life can be a celebration of material pleasures such as food and wine, or often a warning of the ephemerality of these pleasures and of the brevity of human life.” This genre it has been so important for art that Edouard Manet once called it: “the touchstone of painting”.
Georges Braque, Still Life with Glass and Letters, 1914.
The first representations of what is considered as still life are attributed to Egyptians in the 15th century BCE. The most popular scene of this genre from the Egyptias was found in the Tomb of Menna, in which you can see dead flora and fauna, as well as utensils of daily life that refer to a ritual as basic for humanity as the act of eating.
Still-Life Found in the Tomb of Menna (Photo: The Yorck Project via Wikimedia Commons Public Domain)
Still life is not only related with the pleasures of life, but also with a deep reflection about notions such as death, life, nature, organic life, artificial life, etc. Whether through painting, sculpture, video, installation, objects or photographs, still life is always about inanimate objects as the main subject of the representation. The term derived from the Dutch word “stilleven”, which became popular during the Middle Age, when painters started to painitng animals, flowers and inanimate objects with increasing realism in the borders of illuminated manuscripts.
Francisco de Goya, Still Life with Golden Bream, 1808-1812.
Through art history, specially from the classic perspective, still life is the lower of the genres in the artistic scale. In the 17th century, the French Academy established a hierarchy for genres in which still life was ranked at the bottom: fifth after history painting, portrait, genre painting and landscape. Both still life and landscape were “considered lowly because they did not involve human subject matter.”
Francis Bacon, Chicken, 1982
Jacob Vosmaer, A Vase with Flowers, ca. 1613.
Since the early 20th century, avant-garde art began to explore with the formal possibilities of still life, specially in terms of playing with the dimension of the canvas in such a contrary way to the classic perspective of the Renaissance. Later on, artists from 1950s to 60s, such as Rauschenberg, Lichtestein, Warhol, among other, took still life as one of the top references of pop culture: the “nature mort” in the 20th Century was no longer dramatic, oscure and nostalgic, but an example of a very specific way of life closely linked to the capitalism.
Contemporary artist are still taking this painting genre to formats such as the installation, the ready-made and the conceptual art. But beyond the formats choosen for the representation, what is also interesting by working still life is to analyze what kind of natural of artificial flore and faune sourround human life, specially in times such as the Anthropocene.
A still life ( pl. : still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or human-made (drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, etc.).
can be a celebration of material pleasures such as food and wine, or often a warning of the ephemerality of these pleasures and of the brevity of human life.” This genre it has been so important for art that Edouard Manet once called it: “the touchstone of painting”.
The art of still life will allow you to understand the absolute foundations of drawing like perspective, shadowing, depth and color so that you can create something realistic and visually interesting.
Here are some reasons for valuing still life painting:
You choose the objects. Set up can be as simple or complex as you desire. There are no time restraints. Objects are set and immobile, so drawing and accurate placement of objects in space, relative to one another, can be thoroughly studied and drawn.
The focus of a still life painting might be a symmetrically placed object or a set of asymmetrically balanced objects. Light and lighting is also an important factor. A directional light might reveal form strongly, while ambient indirect light might emphasise flat shapes in the composition.
The term “still life” describes a work of art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world, such as fruit, flowers, dead game, and/or vessels like baskets or bowls.
Art gives meaning to our lives and helps us understand our world. It is an essential part of our culture because it allows us to have a deeper understanding of our emotions; it increases our self-awareness, and also allows us to be open to new ideas and experiences.
Life Drawing teaches you hand-eye coordination, hones your observational skills and does wonders for relaxation. For those of you who are about to take your first class or pondering whether you should take the plunge, this article shares a few things to think about beforehand.
Still life drawings are drawings of non-living objects, arranged in a specific way, to create meaning or a visual effect. Common still life objects include things like flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other foods and beverages. Dead animals (like wild game and fish) can also be included in a still life drawing...
Avoiding unintentional repetition will also help to create a strong still life. Be careful to choose objects of differing sizes and arrange them in a way that breaks up any excessive patterns, and you will have a good start to a visually interesting still life painting.
A still life drawing is created by placing objects in a design setting that utilizes available light and contrasts in shapes in an eye pleasing manner. The artist sketches the basic shapes first and continues to fill in details and/or color until the desired outcome is achieved.
Still life can be a celebration of material pleasures such as food and wine, or often a warning of the ephemerality of these pleasures and of the brevity of human life.” This genre it has been so important for art that Edouard Manet once called it: “the touchstone of painting”.
Still life is art that represents inanimate objects like fruit, cut flowers, utensils, and other everyday items. These objects can be natural or manmade. The composition can be simple with just one or two objects featured or more complex, with a variety of different items.
Composition is perhaps the most important aspect of still life drawing. If your composition works well, the image will most likely be successful from a picture making stand point. I like to begin with quick sketches that literally take fifteen seconds or so to complete.
Students learn about and discuss the objects commonly found in still-life paintings. Students will identify the objects pictured in still lifes. Students will indicate which of a set of objects are natural and which are man-made. Students will use new vocabulary.
Still life photography is important for several reasons. It can capture beautiful images that can be enjoyed for years to come. It can serve as a way to document and preserve history. Still life photography can be used to create art and has been a popular art subject for centuries.
It was praised by Vasari's contemporaries and quickly became the single most important secondary source in the history of Italian Renaissance art, containing not only a wealth of facts and attributions but entertain- ing anecdotes about the private lives of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance.
The elements for still life which are important principles are: proportion, balance, line, color, shape/form, space, tone, and texture. Hey Sharon! The artist is one of our in-house artists here at Arteza.
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