Still life from objects of any nationality. The most beautiful still lifes of our time, and not only

Let's move on to the final stage of this series of posts about the still life genre. It will be dedicated to the work of Russian artists.

Let's start with Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy (1783-1873). Still life graphics by F.P. Tolstoy, a famous Russian sculptor, medalist, draftsman and painter, is probably the most outstanding and valuable part of his creative heritage, although the artist himself said that he created these works “in his free time from serious studies.”

The main property of Tolstoy’s still life drawings is their illusory nature. The artist carefully copied nature. He tried, in his own words, “with strict clarity to convey from life to paper the copied flower as it is, with all the slightest details belonging to this flower.” To mislead the viewer, Tolstoy used illusionistic techniques such as the image of dew drops or translucent paper covering the drawing and helping to deceive the eye.

Ilya Efimofich Repin (1844-1930) also more than once turned to such a still life motif as flowers. Such works include the painting “Autumn Bouquet” (1892, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), where the artist depicts with equal attention an autumn landscape, a young woman standing against a background of golden trees, and a modest bouquet of yellow and white flowers in her hands.

I. Repin. Autumn bouquet. Portrait of Vera Repina. 1892, Tretyakov Gallery

The history of the painting “Apples and Leaves” is somewhat unusual. The still life, combining fruits and leaves, was staged for Repin’s student, V.A. Serova. The teacher liked the object composition so much that he decided to paint such a still life himself. Flowers and fruits attracted many artists, who preferred these among other things, which most poetically and beautifully showed the natural world. Even I.N. Kramskoy, who disdained this genre, also paid tribute to still life, creating the spectacular painting “Bouquet of Flowers. Phloxes” (1884, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow).

Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911) is known to most of us as an artist who paid attention in his work to landscape, portraiture and historical painting. However, it should be noted that the subject in his work always played an important role and often occupied the same equal position as other elements of the composition. A little higher, I already mentioned his student work “Apples on Leaves,” 1879, completed under the direction of Repin. If you compare this work with a work written on the same topic by Repin, you can see that Serov’s still life is more etude-like than his teacher’s painting. The novice artist used a low point of view, so the first and second plans are combined and the background is reduced.

The painting “Girl with Peaches,” known to everyone since childhood, goes beyond the portrait genre and it is no coincidence that it is called “Girl with Peaches” and not “Portrait of Vera Mamontova.” We can see that the features of portrait, interior and still life are combined here. The artist pays equal attention to the image of a girl in a pink blouse and a few but skillfully grouped objects. On a white tablecloth lie soft yellow peaches, maple leaves and a shiny knife. Other things in the background are also lovingly painted: chairs, a large porcelain plate decorating the wall, a figurine of a toy soldier, a candlestick on the windowsill. The sunlight pouring from the window and casting bright reflections on objects gives the image a poetic charm.

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel (1856-1910) wrote: “And again it hits me, no, it doesn’t, but I hear that intimate national note that I so want to catch on the canvas and in the ornament. This is the music of a whole person, not dismembered by the distractions of the ordered, differentiated and pale West.”

At the Academy of Arts, Vrubel’s favorite teacher was Pavel Chistyakov, who taught the young painter to “draw with form” and argued that three-dimensional forms should not be created in space with shading and contours, they should be built with lines. Thanks to him, Vrubel learned not just to show nature, but to conduct an intimate, almost loving conversation with her. The master’s wonderful still life “Rose Hip” (1884) was made in this spirit.

Against the background of exquisite drapery with floral motifs, the artist placed an elegant round vase painted with oriental patterns. The delicate white rose hip flower, shaded by the blue-green fabric, stands out clearly, and the leaves of the plant almost merge with the dimly shimmering black neck of the vase. This composition is filled with inexpressible charm and freshness, which the viewer simply cannot help but succumb to.

During his illness, Vrubel began to paint more from life, and his drawings are distinguished not only by their precise form, but also by their very special spirituality. It seems that every movement of the artist’s hand betrays his suffering and passion.

Particularly noteworthy in this regard is the drawing “Still Life. Candlestick, decanter, glass.” It is a crushing triumph of fierce objectivity. Each still life object carries a hidden explosive force. The material from which things are made, be it the bronze of a candlestick, the glass of a decanter or the matte reflection of a candle, visibly trembles from colossal internal tension. The pulsation is conveyed by the artist with short intersecting strokes, which is why the texture acquires explosiveness and tension. Thus, objects acquire incredible sharpness, which is the true essence of things.

G.N. achieved great skill in creating “fake” still lifes. Teplov and T. Ulyanov. Most often they depicted a plank wall on which knots and veins of wood were drawn. Various objects were hung on the walls or tucked behind nailed ribbons: scissors, combs, letters, books, music notebooks. Clocks, inkwells, bottles, candlesticks, dishes and other small items are placed on narrow shelves. It seems that such a set of items is completely random, but in fact this is far from the case. Looking at such still lifes, one can guess about the interests of artists who played music, read, and were interested in art. The masters lovingly and diligently depicted things dear to them. These paintings touch with their sincerity and spontaneity of perception of nature.

Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev (1878-1927) also devoted a lot of his work to the still life genre. On his cheerful canvases you can see bright satin fabrics, sparkling copper samovars, the shine of earthenware and porcelain, red slices of watermelon, bunches of grapes, apples, and delicious cupcakes. One of his remarkable paintings is “Merchant's Wife at Tea”, 1918. It is impossible not to admire the bright splendor of the objects shown on the canvas. A sparkling samovar, bright red pulp of watermelons, glossy apples and transparent grapes, a glass vase with jam, a gilded sugar bowl and a cup standing in front of the merchant’s wife - all these things add a festive mood to the image.

In the still life genre, much attention was paid to the so-called “trick still lifes.” Many “trick” still lifes, despite the fact that their main task was to mislead the viewer, have undoubted artistic merits, especially noticeable in museums, where, hung on the walls, such compositions, of course, cannot deceive the public. But there are exceptions here. For example, “Still Life with Books”, made by P.G. Bogomolov, is inserted into an illusory “bookcase”, and visitors do not immediately realize that it is just a painting.

“Still Life with a Parrot” (1737) by G.N. is very good. Teplova. With the help of clear, precise lines turning into soft, smooth contours, light, transparent shadows, and subtle color nuances, the artist shows a variety of objects hung on a plank wall. The wood is masterfully rendered, its bluish, pink, yellowish shades helping to create an almost real feeling of the fresh smell of freshly planed wood.

G.N. Teplov. “Still life with a parrot”, 1737, State Museum of Ceramics, Kuskovo estate

Russian “false” still lifes of the 18th century indicate that artists are not yet skillful enough in conveying space and volumes. It is more important for them to show the texture of objects, as if transferred to canvas from reality. Unlike Dutch still lifes, where things absorbed by the light environment are depicted in unity with it, in the paintings of Russian masters, objects painted very carefully, even meticulously, live as if by themselves, regardless of the surrounding space.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the school of A.G. played a major role in the further development of still life. Venetsianov, who opposed the strict distinction of genres and sought to teach his students a holistic vision of nature.

A.G. Venetsianov. Threshing floor, 1821-23

The Venetsian school opened a new genre for Russian art - interior design. The artists showed various rooms of a noble house: living rooms, bedrooms, offices, kitchens, classrooms, servants' rooms, etc. In these works, an important place was given to the depiction of various objects, although still life itself was of almost no interest to representatives of Venetsianov’s circle (in any case, very few still lifes executed by students of the famous painter have survived). Nevertheless, Venetsianov urged his students to carefully study not only the faces and figures of people, but also the things around them.

An object in Venetsianov’s painting is not an accessory; it is inextricably linked with the rest of the details of the picture and is often the key to understanding the image. For example, a similar function is performed by sickles in the painting “The Reapers” (second half of the 1820s, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg). Things in Venetian art seem to be involved in the unhurried and serene life of the characters.

Although Venetsianov, in all likelihood, did not paint still lifes himself, he included this genre in his teaching system. The artist wrote: “ Inanimate things are not subject to those various changes that are characteristic of animate objects; they stand, hold themselves at attention, motionless in front of an inexperienced artist and give him time to delve more accurately and more judiciously, to peer into the relationship of one part to another, both in lines and in light and shadow with the color itself , which depend on the space occupied by objects”.

Of course, still life also played a big role in the pedagogical system of the Academy of Arts in the 18th-19th centuries (in classrooms, students made copies of still lifes by Dutch masters), but it was Venetsianov, who encouraged young artists to turn to nature, who introduced still life into his first-year curriculum, composed of such things as plaster figures, dishes, candlesticks, colorful ribbons, fruits and flowers. Venetsianov selected objects for educational still lifes so that they would be interesting to beginning painters, understandable in form, and beautiful in color.

In the paintings created by Venetsianov’s talented students, things are conveyed truthfully and freshly. These are the still lifes of K. Zelentsov, P.E. Kornilov. In the work of the Venetian artists there are also works that are not still lifes in their essence, but, nevertheless, the role of things in them is enormous. You can name, for example, the paintings “Office in Ostrovki” and “Reflection in the Mirror” by G.V. Magpies kept in the collection of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

G.V. Magpie. “Office in Ostrovki.” Fragment, 1844, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Still lifes in these works do not appear independently, but as parts of the interior uniquely arranged by the master, corresponding to the general compositional and emotional structure of the picture. The main connecting element here is light, gently moving from one object to another. Looking at the canvases, you understand how interesting the world around the artist is, who lovingly depicted every object, every smallest thing.

The still life presented in the “Office in Ostrovki”, although it occupies a small place in the overall composition, seems unusually significant, highlighted due to the fact that the author fenced it off from the rest of the space with a high back of the sofa, and cut it off on the left and right with a frame. It seems that Soroka was so carried away by the objects lying on the table that he almost forgot about the other details of the picture. The master carefully wrote out everything: a quill pen, a pencil, a compass, a protractor, a penknife, an abacus, sheets of paper, a candle in a candlestick. The point of view from above allows you to see all things, without any of them blocking the other. Attributes such as a skull, a watch, as well as symbols of “earthly vanity” (a figurine, papers, abacus) allow some researchers to classify the still life as a vanitas type, although such a coincidence is purely accidental; most likely, the serf artist took advantage of what was lying on the table his owner.

A famous master of object compositions of the first half of the 19th century was the artist I.F. Khrutsky, who painted many beautiful paintings in the spirit of Dutch still life of the 17th century. Among his best works are “Flowers and Fruits” (1836, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), “Portrait of a Wife with Flowers and Fruits” (1838, Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk), “Still Life” (1839, Museum of the Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg).

In the first half of the 19th century in Russia, “botanical still life”, which came to us from Western Europe, was very popular. In France at this time, works by botanists with beautiful illustrations were published. The artist P.Zh. became very famous in many European countries. Redoute, who was considered “the most famous flower painter of his time.” “Botanical drawing” was a significant phenomenon not only for science, but also for art and culture. Such drawings were presented as gifts and decorated albums, which thus put them on a par with other works of painting and graphics.

In the second half of the 19th century, P.A. paid great attention to the depiction of objects. Fedotov. Although he did not actually paint still lifes, the world of things he created delights with its beauty and truthfulness.

Objects in Fedotov's works are inseparable from people's lives; they take a direct part in the dramatic events depicted by the artist.

Looking at the painting “Fresh Cavalier” (“Morning after the Feast”, 1846), you are amazed at the abundance of objects carefully painted by the master. A real still life, surprising in its laconicism, is presented in Fedotov’s famous painting “The Major’s Matchmaking” (1848). The glass is tangibly and realistically conveyed: wine glasses with high stems, a bottle, a decanter. The thinnest and most transparent, it seems to emit a gentle crystal ringing.

Fedotov P.A. Major's matchmaking. 1848-1849. Tretyakov Gallery

Fedotov does not separate objects from the interior, so things are shown not only authentically, but also in a picturesque subtlety. Every ordinary or not very attractive object that takes its place in the common space seems surprising and beautiful.

Although Fedotov did not paint still lifes, he showed an undoubted interest in this genre. His instinct told him how to arrange this or that object, from what point of view to present it, what things would look next to him not only logically, but also expressively.

The world of things, which helps to show human life in all its manifestations, endows Fedotov’s works with a special musicality. Such are the paintings “Anchor, another anchor” (1851-1852), “Widow” (1852) and many others.

In the second half of the 19th century, the genre of still life practically ceased to interest artists, although many genre painters willingly included elements of still life in their compositions. Things acquire great importance in the paintings of V.G. Perova (“Tea Party in Mytishchi”, 1862, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), L.I. Solomatkin (“City Slavers”, 1846, State Historical Museum, Moscow).

Still lifes are presented in genre scenes by A.L. Yushanova (“Seeing Off the Chief”, 1864), M.K. Klodt (“The Sick Musician”, 1855), V.I. Jacobi (“The Pedlar”, 1858), A.I. Korzukhina (“Before Confession”, 1877; “In the Monastery Hotel”, 1882), K.E. Makovsky (“Alekseich”, 1882). All these paintings are now kept in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

K.E. Makovsky. “Alekseich”, 1882, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

In the 1870-1880s, everyday life remained the leading genre in Russian painting, although landscape and portrait also occupied an important place. The Wanderers, who sought to show the truth of life in their works, played a huge role in the further development of Russian art. Artists began to attach great importance to working from life and therefore increasingly turned to landscape and still life, although many of them considered the latter a waste of time, a meaningless passion for form devoid of internal content. So, I.N. Kramskoy mentioned the famous French painter, who did not neglect still lifes, in a letter to V.M. Vasnetsov: “A talented person will not waste time on depicting, let’s say, basins, fish, etc. This is good for people who already have everything, but we have a lot to do.”

Nevertheless, many Russian artists who did not paint still lifes admired them when looking at the paintings of Western masters. For example, V.D. Polenov, who was in France, wrote to I.N. Kramskoy: “Look how things go here like clockwork, everyone works in their own way, in the most varied directions, whatever they like, and all this is valued and paid for. For us, what matters most is what is done, but here it is how it is done. For example, for a copper basin with two fish they pay twenty thousand francs, and in addition they consider this coppersmith to be the first painter, and, perhaps, not without reason.”

Having visited the exhibition in Paris in 1883, V.I. Surikov admired landscapes, still lifes and paintings of flowers. He wrote: “Gibert’s fish are good. The fish slime is rendered masterfully, colorfully, mixing tone on tone.” There is in his letter to P.M. Tretyakov and these words: “And Gilbert’s fish are such a miracle. Well, you can really take it in your hands, it’s written to the point of deception.”

Both Polenov and Surikov could become excellent masters of still life, as evidenced by the masterfully painted objects in their compositions (“Sick” by Polenov, “Menshikov in Berezov” by Surikov).

V.D. Polenov. “Sick Woman”, 1886, Tretyakov Gallery

Most of the still lifes created by famous Russian artists in the 1870-1880s are works of a sketch nature, showing the authors’ desire to convey the features of things. Some similar works depict unusual, rare objects (for example, a sketch with a still life for I.E. Repin’s painting “Cossacks writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan”, 1891). Such works had no independent significance.

Interesting still lifes by A.D. Litovchenko, executed as preparatory studies for the large canvas “Ivan the Terrible Shows His Treasures to Ambassador Horsey” (1875, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg). The artist showed luxurious brocade fabrics, weapons inlaid with precious stones, gold and silver items stored in the royal treasuries.

More rare at that time were still life sketches representing ordinary household objects. Such works were created with the aim of studying the structure of things, and were also the result of exercises in painting technique.

Still life played an important role not only in genre painting, but also in portraiture. For example, in the film by I.N. Kramskoy “Nekrasov during the period of “The Last Songs” (1877-1878, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow) objects serve as accessories. S.N. Goldstein, who studied Kramskoy’s work, writes: “In search of the overall composition of the work, he strives to ensure that the interior he recreates, despite its strictly everyday nature, contributes, first of all, to the awareness of the spiritual appearance of the poet, the unfading meaning of his poetry. And indeed, the individual accessories of this interior - volumes of Sovremennik, randomly laid out on the table by the patient’s bedside, a sheet of paper and a pencil in his weakened hands, a bust of Belinsky, a portrait of Dobrolyubov hanging on the wall - in this work acquired the meaning of not external signs of the situation, but relics closely associated with the image of a person.”

Among the few still lifes of the Wanderers, the main place is occupied by “bouquets”. Interesting is “Bouquet” by V.D. Polenov (1880, Abramtsevo Estate Museum), in the manner of execution is a little reminiscent of still lifes by I.E. Repina. Unpretentious in its motif (small wildflowers in a simple glass vase), it nevertheless delights with its free-form painting. In the second half of the 1880s, similar bouquets appeared in the paintings of I.I. Levitan.

I.N. shows the viewer flowers differently. Kramskoy. Many researchers believe that the two paintings are “Bouquet of Flowers. Phloxes” (1884, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow) and “Roses” (1884, collection of R.K. Viktorova, Moscow) were created by the master while working on the canvas “Inconsolable Grief”.

Kramskoy demonstrated two “bouquets” at the XII Mobile Exhibition. Spectacular, bright compositions depicting garden flowers on a dark background found buyers even before the opening of the exhibition. The owners of these works were Baron G.O. Gintsburg and the Empress.

At the IX Traveling Exhibition of 1881-1882, the public’s attention was attracted by the painting by K.E. Makovsky, named in the catalog “Nature morte” (now it is in the Tretyakov Gallery under the name “In the artist’s studio”). The large canvas depicts a huge dog lying on the carpet and a child reaching from an armchair to fruit on the table. But these figures are just details that the author needs in order to revive the still life - many luxurious things in the artist’s studio. Painted in the traditions of Flemish art, Makovsky’s painting still touches the viewer’s soul. The artist, carried away by conveying the beauty of expensive things, failed to show their individuality and created a work whose main purpose is to demonstrate wealth and luxury.

All the objects in the picture seem to be collected in order to amaze the viewer with their splendor. On the table there is a traditional set of fruits for a still life - large apples, pears and grapes on a large beautiful dish. There is also a large silver mug decorated with ornaments. Nearby stands a blue and white earthenware vessel, next to which is a richly decorated ancient weapon. The fact that this is an artist’s studio is reminded by the brushes placed in a wide jug on the floor. The gilded chair has a sword in a luxurious sheath. The floor is covered with a carpet with bright patterns. Expensive fabrics are also used as decoration - brocade trimmed with thick fur, and velvet from which the curtain is sewn. The color of the canvas is designed in rich shades with a predominance of scarlet, blue, and gold.

From all of the above, it is clear that in the second half of the 19th century, still life did not play a significant role in Russian painting. It was distributed only as a study for a painting or a teaching study. Many artists who performed still lifes as part of the academic program never returned to this genre in their independent work. Still lifes were painted mainly by non-professionals who created watercolors with flowers, berries, fruits, and mushrooms. Major masters did not consider still life worthy of attention and used objects only to convincingly show the situation and decorate the image.

The first beginnings of a new still life can be found in the paintings of artists who worked at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries: I.I. Levitan, I.E. Grabar, V.E. Borisova-Musatova, M.F. Larionova, K.A. Korovina. It was at that time that still life appeared in Russian art as an independent genre.

But this was a very unique still life, understood by artists who worked in an impressionistic manner, not as an ordinary closed subject composition. The masters depicted the details of a still life in a landscape or interior, and what was important to them was not so much the life of things as the space itself, a haze of light that dissolves the outlines of objects. Of great interest are also the graphic still lifes of M.A. Vrubel, distinguished by their unique originality.

At the beginning of the 20th century, artists such as A.Ya. played a major role in the development of Russian still life. Golovin, S.Yu. Sudeikin, A.F. Gausch, B.I. Anisfeld, I.S. Schoolboy. N.N. also said a new word in this genre. Sapunov, who created a number of paintings-panels with bouquets of flowers.

In the 1900s, many artists of various styles turned to still life. Among them were the so-called. Moscow Cézanne painters, symbolists (P.V. Kuznetsov, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin), etc. Object compositions occupied an important place in the works of such famous masters as M.F. Larionov, N.S. Goncharova, A.V. Lentulov, R.R. Falk, P.P. Konchalovsky, A.V. Shevchenko, D.P. Shterenberg, who made still life a full-fledged genre among other genres in Russian painting of the 20th century.

Just listing Russian artists who used elements of still life in their work would take up a lot of space. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to the material presented here. Those interested can learn more about the links provided in the first part of this series of posts about the still life genre.

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Message quote Dutch painters father and son van Streeck. Juriaen van Streeck (1632-1687). Transience of life. - Part 1.

Still life with oysters, peaches and lemonohm.

Juriaen van Streeck(Amsterdam 29February 1632 - buried June 12, 1687, Amsterdam) - Dutch artist of the Golden Age.Famous master of still lifes. Since 1655 it has been listed in the city lists of Amsterdam. A minimum of information has been preserved about the master’s life. It is known that in 1653 in the year he married Grietje Claes; after the wedding the couple moved from Jordaan to Prinsengracht and had 10 children, three of whom died in childhood. Juriaen van Streeck was a student and follower of Willem Kalf (1619, Rotterdam - 31 July 1693, Amsterdam) and was influenced by Barendt van der Meer (Haarlem 1659-1690/1702). Houbraken also writes about his son Hendrick van Streeck, who was a student of Emanuel de Witte and was engaged in decorating the interiors of churches, painted these interiors, and also painted still lifes.When Van Streeck died he was hotel owner on Kerkstraat. From the comments of contemporaries we can conclude that the works of Jurian van Streck were highly valued during his lifetime. And later researchers even called him among the best still life masters of the second half of the 17th century. The artist’s works are often attributed to other major still life painters of this period - Willem Kalf and Barendt van der Meer. Earlier in my diary there was a post about the artist.

According to Houbraken, Van Streeck differed in his choice of still life subjects , focusing mainly on the topic transcience (transience of life).

Still life with an orange, lemon and two peaches in a porcelain bowl by Wang Li

Most of the artist’s paintings belong to that variety of Dutch still life, which was called “luxurious” breakfasts, becoming a reflection of the changing tastes of the Dutch burghers of the second half of the 17th century. After the final conclusion of peace and confirmation of Dutch independence in 1642, representatives of the third estate, who became rich, began to imitate the aristocrats. Their life acquired features of sedateness and regularity, and costumes and meals became an expression of prosperity. In the still lifes of this time, pewter dishes are replaced by silver, instead of faience and locally produced glass, precious Chinese porcelain and expensive Venetian glass appear, the tables are covered with carpet or velvet tablecloths, which were unusually fashionable at that time. The main intrigue of the visual scenario of the paintings is formed by the thoughtful organization of lighting, with the help of which the artist places the main coloristic accents in the depiction of fruits brought from hot countries to Holland.

Snack (Breakfast) c. 1670 The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Snack (Breakfast)

The dark background of still lifes gives special depth to the works. This feature is obviously associated with a unique technique, unconventional for Dutch painters, most likely borrowed by the artist from the Venetian masters, who painted their canvases on dark brown-red soils, absorbing light rays and creating just that unique effect of depth and velvety tone.

Still life with fruits, earthenware bowl And remer

Still life with fruit and a glass of wine on the table

Lobster, peach and lemon in a tilted Wang-Li porcelain bowl, bread and knife on a pewter plate, gilded nautilus cup And wine in a remer and jug on a partially draped table.

Still life with fruit and Chinese porcelain Private collection

Decorative still life with fruit in Wang-Li's porcelain bowl.

Still life, after 1653 Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne

In thispictureartistobjects on a dark background illuminatedinvisiblesource,Particularly effectivedepressedminimum color shades andoppositionstexturesWhen choosingobjectsAndon a dark backgroundStreeckshouldKalfu, butthis paintingis peculiara masterpiece.

Still life with oysters

Still life of lemons, peaches and grapes in a niche

Still life with a Moorish servant standing at a table

Still life with fruit and a braided bottle

Still life with Chinese porcelain and fruit

Still life with ginger, lemon, vase and nautilus goblet.

Still life with fruit in a Delft porcelain dish.

Still life with lemon, peaches, Venetian glass and knife, all on a stone ledge draped in red cloth, in a landscape

Blue and white Wang-Li porcelain with peaches, lemon and orange and knife on a partially draped stone ledge ne

Still life with peaches and orange in a Wang-Li porcelain bowl, Chinese porcelain vase, and gold plated silver nautilus

Still life with oranges, peaches and lemon in a blue and white porcelain bowl, silver and gilt Nautilus on a silver gilt plate along with bread and knife

Still life with orange and peaches in a Wang-Li porcelain bowl, nautilus, Chinese porcelain vase and a knife, all on stone table draped with red velvet

Large still life with pate, wine, grapes, lemon, roses and dead birds

Fruit still life with ritual vessels (detail)

Still life with remer, orange and chestnut

Still life with a glass and fruit on a plate Oil on canvas 83x69.5 cm

Vanitas still life with feather fan and helmet

Portraits in engraving by Johan Hendrik Roos and Juriaan van Streek (lower portrait), by Jakob Campo Weyerman, 1729

Still life with a silver jug, crabs and Chinese porcelain.

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 of 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

Isaac Levitan's painting is like a 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... After the forest, the artist’s studio turned into “either a greenhouse or a 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 covered in autumn colors as a source of inspiration.

"Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes"

Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes

Painting by Ivan Kramskoy. “A talented person won’t waste time on depicting, say, basins, fish, etc. It’s good to do this 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. A bowl of fruit is the fruit of 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 the pastel colors of 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 depict the world around him, and more vividly. 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. A beautiful picture for an artist and an artistic chronicle of sporting success. Still life story.

Still life(French: Nature morte - dead nature), one of the genres of painting depicting the gifts of nature (fruits, flowers, fish, game), as well as things made by human hands (tableware, vases, watches, etc.). Sometimes inanimate objects coexist with living beings - insects, birds, animals and people.

Still life motifs are already found in the art of the Ancient East and antiquity. There is a legend that the ancient Greek artist Apelles depicted grapes so skillfully that the birds mistook them for real ones and began to peck them.

The first mention of still life can be found in the 15th-16th centuries. For a long time, still life maintained a connection with religious painting.

Still life emerged as an independent genre in the 17th century. and at the same time experienced its bright heyday in the work of Dutch, Flemish and Spanish masters. The diversity of its types and forms at this time is associated with the development of national realistic schools of painting.

There were several types of still life in Holland. The artists painted “breakfasts” and “desserts” in such a way that it seemed as if the person was somewhere nearby and would soon return. A pipe is smoking on the table, a napkin is crumpled, the wine in the glass is not finished, the lemon is cut, the bread is broken (P. Klas, V. Kheda, V. Kalf).

Images of kitchen utensils, vases with flowers, and finally "Vanitas"(“vanity of vanities”), still lifes on the theme of the frailty of life and its short-term joys, calling to remember true values and take care of the salvation of the soul. Favorite attributes of “Vanitas” are a skull and a watch (J. van Streck. “Vanity of Vanities”).

For Dutch still lifes, as in general for still life of the 17th century, it is characterized by the presence of hidden philosophical overtones, complex Christian or love symbolism (the lemon was a symbol of moderation, the dog - fidelity, etc.)

The Flemings, on the contrary, painted large, sometimes huge canvases intended to decorate palace halls. They are distinguished by their festive multicolor, abundance of objects, and complexity of composition. Such still lifes were called "bench"(Y. Faith, F. Snyders). They depicted tables piled high with game, seafood, bread, and next to them were owners offering their goods. The abundant food, as if it did not fit on the tables, hung and fell right onto the audience.

IN Italy and Spain The rise of still life painting was greatly facilitated by the work of Caravaggio. The favorite themes of still life were flowers, vegetables and fruits, seafood, kitchen utensils, etc. (P. P. Bonzi, M. Campidoglio, G. Recco, G. B. Ruoppolo, E. Baskenis, etc.).

Spanish artists they preferred to limit themselves to a small set of objects and worked in a restrained color scheme. The forms are simple and noble; they are carefully sculpted with chiaroscuro, almost tangible, the composition is strictly balanced (F. Zurbaran. “Still Life with Oranges and Lemons”, 1633; A. Pereda. “Still Life with a Clock”).

In Russia, the first still lifes appeared in the 18th century. in decorative paintings on the walls of palaces and “fake” paintings, in which objects were reproduced so accurately that they seemed real (G. N. Teplov, P. G. Bogomolov, T. Ulyanov).

In the 19th century trompe l'oeil traditions have been rethought. The still life experiences a rise in the first half. 19th century in the works of F.P. Tolstoy, who rethought the traditions of “blemneys” (“Berries of red and white currants”, 1818), artists Venetsian school, I. T. Khrutsky. Artists sought to see beauty and perfection in everyday objects.

In the 18th century The French master J.-B. turned to the genre of still life. WITH. Chardin. His paintings, depicting simple, good-quality utensils (bowls, a copper tank), vegetables, simple foods, are filled with the breath of life, warmed by the poetry of the hearth and affirm the beauty of everyday life. Chardin also painted allegorical still lifes (“Still Life with Attributes of the Arts”, 1766).

A new flowering of the genre is coming at the end. 19 – beginning 20th century, when still life became a laboratory for creative experiments, a means of expressing the artist’s individuality. Still life occupies a significant place in the work of post-impressionists - V. Van Gogh, P. Gauguin and above all P. Cezanne. P. Picasso, A. Matisse

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 of Capodimonte. Author unknown.

When a friend came to visit a Roman, good manners required 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, a still life is not only fruits, vegetables and flowers, but also... a human skull, designed to reflect the transience of human life. This is exactly how still life was imagined by supporters of the “Vanitas” genre, representatives of the early stage of still life development.

An outstanding example is an allegorical still life by a 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. 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

Famous artists were often fond of still life. 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 the outstanding Spanish artist of the twentieth 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 non-acceptance of his work prompt the artist to crazy actions and significantly undermine his health. But the talented artist persistently wrote about painting: “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

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.

Trying 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 amazingly beautiful flowers. And you?

Cecil Kennedy is rightfully considered the most outstanding British artist of our time. Winner of several prestigious awards and a favorite of many “powers that be,” 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 pays special 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

Sergei Shapovalov’s paintings are full of sunbeams. Each of his masterpieces is filled with light, goodness and love for his 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 of his own feelings and moods. In bouquets of roses, in scatterings of cornflowers, asters and dahlias, in “fragrant” forest pictures - a unique summer aroma and priceless gifts of the rich nature of Ukraine.