Still life painting. Still lifes of great masters

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 an independent genre were Dutch and Flemish artists. Initially, the paintings appeared in religious use. Also in the era of the birth of the genre, paintings of a gloomy nature with a deep philosophical meaning and dark tones, in the center of the composition, which included skulls, candles and some other attributes, became widespread. Then, gradually developing, the genre absorbed more and more new directions and over and over again became 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.

In Russia the genre arose in early XVIII centuries, but no one seriously studied this; 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, and selected new images. Russian still life, unlike Western ones, did not develop gradually, but 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.

In modern painting, still life is undergoing a new rise and now firmly occupies its rightful place among other genres. visual arts. Now this is one of the most popular areas in painting. Having great amount 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.

I. Mashkov "Still Life" (1930)

The word "still life" with French translated as “dead nature” (fr. nature morte).

About still life

Everything that no longer lives, does not breathe, that has been torn off, cut off, but continues to delight a person with its existence - all this is the subject of a still life.

How independent genre Still life painting began to exist in the 17th century. in the works of Dutch and Flemish artists. Previously, it was only a decoration and performed a utilitarian function.

Early still lifes often contained a hidden allegory (allegory), which was expressed through everyday objects endowed with symbolic meaning. Sometimes still lifes depicted a skull, which was supposed to remind of the transience of life and the inevitability of death.

The allegorical still life was called Vanitas (lat. vanitas, lit.: “vanity, vanity”). His compositional center traditionally a human skull.

Bartholomeus Brain the Elder (1st half of the 16th century). Vanitas

“Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities, everything is vanity!”

Willem Claes Heda. Vanitas

The skull symbolizes frailty human life. A smoking pipe is a symbol of fleeting and elusive earthly pleasures. Glass symbolizes the fragility of life. Keys - power housewife, inventory management. The knife reminds us of human vulnerability and mortality. A sheet of paper usually with a moralizing (often pessimistic) saying. For example:

Hodie mihi cras tibi - today for me, tomorrow for you;

Memento mori - memento Mori;

Aeterne pungit cito volat et occidit - the glory of heroic deeds will dissipate in the same way as a dream;

Omnia morte cadunt mors ultima linia rerum - everything is destroyed by death, death is the final boundary of all things;

Nil omne – everything is nothing.

But more often, in still lifes, one can feel the artist’s admiration for objects: kitchen utensils, flowers, fruits, household items - such paintings were purchased by customers to decorate the interiors of their homes.

From the middle of the 17th century. still life in Dutch painting has become widespread as an independent genre. And one of the very first to stand out was the floral still life, especially in the works of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder and Balthasar van der Ast, and then continued its development in luxurious still lifes Jan Davids de Heem in the second half of the 17th century. Floral still life is also popular among artists of our time.

The subject matter of still lifes is extensive: these are already mentioned floral still lifes, images of breakfasts, set tables, scientific still lifes depicting books and other objects of human activity, musical instruments and etc.

Let's look at some of the most famous still lifes.

Willem Claes Heda (1594-1682) “Still life with ham and silverware” (1649)

Willem Claes Heda "Still Life with Ham and Silverware" (1649)

In this picture, the artist’s virtuoso skill in conveying ordinary, everyday objects is noticeable. Kheda depicts them in such a way that it is obvious that he himself admires them: a feeling of tangibility of each of the objects is created.

On a small table covered with a rich, heavy tablecloth, we see a lemon and admire its amber softness, feel the aroma of fresh ham and hear the clink of sparkling silver. Breakfast is over, so the items on the table are in natural disarray.

Silverware means earthly wealth, ham - sensual joys, lemon - external beauty, inside of which bitterness is hidden. The picture concludes with a reflection on the fact that one should take care not only of the body, but also of the soul.

The still life is designed in a single brown-gray tone, characteristic of all Dutch painting of that time. The canvas is not only beautiful, it also talks about the hidden " quiet life» objects seen by the attentive eye of the artist.

The still life is in State Museum Fine Arts named after. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.

Paul Cézanne (1830-1906) Peaches and Pears (1895)

Paul Cezanne "Peaches and Pears" (1895)

Paul Cézanne was the greatest French artist late XIX V. Having experienced the influence of impressionism, Cezanne opposed them with his own method. He opposed their desire to follow only their visual impression in art - he was for an objective transmission of reality based on patterns in nature. He wanted to see not her changeable, but her constant qualities. Cezanne said: “I want to return eternity to nature.” The artist conducted his creative searches through the synthesis of form and color, form and space. This search is especially evident in his still lifes.

Each of the objects in this still life is depicted from a different point of view. We see the table from above, the tablecloth and fruit from the side, the table from below, and the jug at the same time different points vision. Cezanne strives to show as fully as possible the shape and volume characteristic of peaches and pears. His technique is based on the optical law: warm colors (red, pink, yellow, gold) seem to us to protrude, and cold colors (blue, light blue, green) seem to recede deeper into the canvas.

The shape of objects in Cezanne's still lifes does not depend on random lighting, but becomes constant, inherent in each object. Therefore, Cezanne's still lifes seem monumental.

The painting is in the State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) "The Blue Tablecloth" (1909)

Henri Matisse "The Blue Tablecloth" (1909)

Famous French artist Henri Matisse in foreign art XX century occupies one of the leading places. But this place is special.

At the very beginning of the 20th century. Matisse became the head of the first new group in European painting, which was called Fauvism(from the French "wild"). A feature of this direction was the freedom to use any color arbitrarily chosen by the artist, and the desire for decorative colorfulness. This felt like a challenge to the established norms of official art.

But after some time, this group broke up, and Matisse no longer belonged to any direction, but chose his own path. With his clear, cheerful art, Matisse sought to give peace to the tormented souls of people in the emotional atmosphere of the 20th century.

In the still life "Blue Tablecloth" Matisse uses his favorite compositional device: fabric descending from the top. The matter in the foreground seems to close the space of the canvas, making it shallow. The viewer admires the whimsical play of blue ornaments on the turquoise background of the tablecloth and the lines of the still life objects. The artist generalized the shapes of the golden coffee pot, green decanter and ruddy apples in the vase; they lost their volume, and small objects obeyed the rhythm of the fabric; they complement the colorful accent of the picture.

Still life in Russian painting

Still life as an independent genre of painting appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century, but initially it was considered as a “lower” genre. Most often it was used as an educational production and was accepted only in a limited sense as painting of flowers and fruits.

But at the beginning of the twentieth century. Still life in Russian painting flourished and for the first time became an equal genre. Artists were looking for new possibilities in the field of color, form, and still life composition. Among Russian still life painters one can name I.F. Khrutsky, I.E. Grabar, P.P. Konchalovsky, I. Levitan, A. Osmerkin, K. Petrov-Vodkin, M. Saryan, V. Nesterenko and others.

The most famous still life P. Konchalovsky is his “Lilac”.

P. Konchalovsky “Lilac” (1939)

P. Konchalovsky "Lilac" (1939)

P. Konchalovsky was a follower of Cezanne in painting; he sought to express the festivity of color characteristic of Russian folk art, with the help of Paul Cézanne's constructive color. The artist gained fame precisely thanks to his still lifes, often executed in a style close to cubism and fauvism.

His still life “Lilac” is full of this festive colors pleasing to the eye and imagination. It seems that the spring aroma of lilac is wafting from the canvas.

Clusters of lilacs are depicted in general terms, but inner memory tells us the outlines of each flower in the bunch and that’s why Konchalovsky’s painting seems realistic.

Konchalovsky’s contemporary, I. Mashkov, was no less generous in depicting the materiality of the world and the colorful palette.

I. Mashkov “Berries on the background of a red tray” (1910)

This still life also has a riot of colors, the ability to enjoy every moment that life gives, because every moment is beautiful.

All the objects of the still life are familiar to us, but it is felt that the artist admires the generosity of nature, the richness of the surrounding world and invites us to share this joy with him.

V. Nesterenko “Father of the Fatherland” (1997)

V. Nesterenko “Father of the Fatherland” (1997)

This is a still life by contemporary artist V. Nesterenko. The theme of the painting is expressed in its title, and the content is revealed in the depiction of still life objects - symbols of the imperial power of Peter I. The portrait of the emperor is set against the backdrop of a battle scene, of which there were many in his life. There is no point in retelling all those deeds for which Peter I is called the Father of the Fatherland. You can hear different opinions about the activities of the first Russian emperor, but in this case the artist expresses his opinion, and this opinion is expressed very convincingly.

The still life is in the Kremlin, in the reception room of the President of the Russian Federation.

Today I was at an exhibition at the National Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art.
I liked a lot. I'm sharing.

Victor Tolochko
1922-2006, Yalta
"Spring still life", 1985
oil, canvas.

Victor Tolochko
"Still life with a white teapot", 1993
oil, canvas

/Born in Melitopol, WWII participant, studied in Kharkov. He headed the Art Museum in Yalta, which at that time occupied the halls of the Vorontsov Palace. Then he moved to Donetsk. In his declining years he returned to Crimea. He painted still lifes, landscapes, portraits. People's Artist Ukraine/.

Ibrahim Litinsky
1908-1958, Kyiv
"Still life with peons on the piano", 1958
oil, canvas

/Litinsky Ibrahim Moiseevich (1908 - 1958) - Ukrainian artist, portrait painter, master of political and film posters. He graduated from the Kyiv Art and Industrial School, after which he studied at the Kiev Art Institute in the theater and film department (1927 - 1928). Painted portraits outstanding people- Stalin, Panas Saksagansky, Ivan Patorzhinsky, Natalia Uzhviy, Gnat Yura. The artist's works are in various private collections/(With)

Nina Dragomirova
1926
"Still Life with Vegetables", 1971

/Ukrainian artist, painter. Graduated from Crimean University named after. N. Samokisha (1952). Member of the National Union of Artists since 1970. Master of landscape and still life. The works are in numerous private collections in Ukraine.(c)/

Sergei Shapovalov
1943, Kirovograd
"Still life". 1998
Oil, canvas

/ Graduated from the Kyiv State Art Institute. Member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine. Honored Artist of Ukraine (2008). A significant part of the artist’s works are in traveling art exhibitions in the Ministries of Culture and in museums of Ukraine. Many of the artist's works are in private collections. He took part in foreign commercial exhibitions ("New York. Inter-Expo 2002" (USA), "Russian House" in Berlin (Germany). In 2004, the artist had a personal exhibition in Guadalajara (Spain) (c)/.

Fedor Zakharov
1919-1994, Yalta
"Lilac", 1982
oil, canvas

/Outstanding painter, master of landscape and still life. Born in the village. Aleksandrovskoye, Smolensk region. In 1935 - 1941 he studied at the Art and Industrial School named after. M. Kalinin in Moscow, in 1943 - 1950 - at the Moscow Art Institute. V. Surikov with A. Lentulov, I. Chekmasov and G. Ryazhsky. In 1950 he moved to Simferopol, where he taught at the Art School. N. Samokisha. In 1953 he settled in Yalta. Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR since 1970, People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR since 1978.

Laureate of the State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR named after. T. Shevchenko (1987). Memorial exhibitions of the artist were held at the State Tretyakov Gallery(2003), in Simferopol (2004) and Kyiv (2005). The works are stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Feodosia art gallery them. I. Aivazovsky, Simferopol, Sevastopol art museums and others (c)/

Sergey Dupliy
1958, Kyiv
"Phloxes", 2003
oil, canvas

/Born in 1958 in the village of Sidorovka, Cherkasy region.
The work of I. Grabar, N. Glushchenko and F. Zakharov had a great influence on his development as an artist.
Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine since 2000. Lives and works in Rzhishchev.(c)/

Valntina Tsvetkova
1917-2007, Yalta
"Autumn Flowers", 1958
oil, canvas

/Ukrainian and Russian painter, master of landscape and still life. Born in Astrakhan, Russia. Graduated from Astrakhan in 1935 art school. She was awarded orders and medals. People's Artist of Ukraine since 1985. Lived and worked in Yalta.(c)/

Stepan Titko
1941-2008, Lviv
"Still Life", 1968
oil, canvas

/Born in the village of Stilskoye, Lviv region.
In 1949, the artist’s family was repressed and exiled to Khabarovsk region. In 1959, Stepan Titko graduated from school and entered the art and graphic department of the Khabarovsk State Printing Institute, and in 1961 - the Khabarovsk Art Institute. Since 1964 he lived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and worked as a graphic designer at the Institute of Cosmonautics. In 1966, together with his family, the artist returned to Ukraine, settled in the city of Novy Rozdol, Lviv region, and worked as an art teacher at school. From 1969 to 1971 Titko S.I. is on a creative trip to the Japanese island of Sakyu.

In 1974 he participated in the “bulldozer exhibition”. He was accused of formalism and a pro-Western attitude towards art.
Works by Titko S.I. are stored in museum and private collections in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, the USA and other countries.(c)/

Konstantin Filatov
1926-2006, Odessa
"Still Life with a Cup", 1970
cardboard, oil

Konstantin Filatov
1926-2006, Odessa
"Eggplants and Peppers", 1965
canvas on cardboard, oil

/Honored Artist of Ukraine. Born in Kyiv.
In 1955 he graduated from the Odessa Art School named after M.B. Grekov. Since 1957 - participant of republican, all-Union and foreign art exhibitions. Member of the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian SSR since 1960.
Worked in the area easel painting. Author of numerous genre paintings, landscapes, portraits and still lifes.
From 1970 to 1974 - teacher at the Odessa Art School.

In 1972 he became a laureate of the State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR. T. Shevchenko for the paintings “Red Square” and “V. I. Lenin." In 1974 he was awarded the title "Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR".
Works by K.V. Filatov's works are represented in museums and private collections in Ukraine and abroad. (With)/

Pavel Miroshnichenko (I really like this work!)
1920-2005, Sevastopol
"Still Life", 1992
oil, canvas

/Honored Artist of Ukraine. Landscape painter, master of still life. Born in Belovodsk, Lugansk region.
Member of the Great Patriotic War. Awarded with orders and medals.
From 1946 to 1951 he studied at the Crimean Art School named after. N. S. Samokisha. Since 1951, the artist lived and worked in Sevastopol.

Since 1965 Miroshnichenko P.P. - Member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine.
The works are in the Sevastopol Art Museum. M. P. Kroshitsky and other museum and private collections in Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, USA, Poland and the Czech Republic. Five seascapes were purchased for the Museum of Russian Art in Japan.(c)/

Gayane Atoyan
1959, Kyiv
"Cornflowers", 2001
oil, canvas

/In 1983 she graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute. He considers his mother, an artist, to be his main teacher. Tatiana Yablonskaya. Since 1982 he has taken part in art exhibitions.
In 1986 she was admitted to the Union of Artists of Ukraine.
Gayane Atoyan's works are in art museums in Kyiv, Zaporozhye, Khmelnitsky, in private collections in Ukraine and abroad.(c)/

Evgeniy Egorov
1917-2005, Kharkov
"Roses", 1995
paper, pastel

/Worked at the Kharkov Art and Industry Institute (now KhSADI) from 1949 to 2000. (from 1972 to 1985 - rector)/.

Sergey Shurov
1883-1961, Kyiv
"Still Life", 1950s
Paper, watercolor

Igor Kotkov
1961, Kyiv
"Still life with red flowers" 1990
oil, canvas

/Graduated from the Kyiv Republican Art School, then from the Art Academy in Kiev. He worked as a production designer at the UkrAnimafilm film studio, creating cartoons for adults. Gradually the artist developed his own style of writing, his own creative style. Now painting is favorite hobby and his life's work. His creative arsenal includes several dozen works in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, two personal exhibitions in Kyiv and participation in many other exhibitions.(c)/

Vladimir Mikita (class!)
1931, Transcarpathia
"Hutsul still life", 2002
canvas, mixed media

/People's Artist of Ukraine.
Born in the village of Rakoshino, Mukachevo district, Transcarpathian region. Nationality - Rusyn.
In 1947, after the 9th grade, he passed the exams at the Uzhgorod School applied arts and was accepted into the 3rd year.
From 1951 to 1954 he was in the ranks Soviet army on Sakhalin Island. After the army, he was hired by the Art and Production Workshops of the Transcarpathian Art Fund, where he worked until his retirement in 2001.

In 1962 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of Ukraine. In 2005 - laureate National Award Ukraine named after. Taras Shevchenko.
Awarded the Order of Yaroslav the Wise V and IV degrees. Since 2010 - Honorary Citizen of Uzhgorod.
The artist’s works are in the collections of the Ministries of Culture of Ukraine and Russia, in various art museums, including foreign ones: Lithuania, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Venezuela and in private collections around the world.(c)/

Anastasia Kalyuzhnaya(I really like it too)
1984, Kerch
"Still Life" 2006
oil, canvas

/Anastasia Kalyuzhnaya graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts of Ukraine and the Roman Serdyuk Art School. The rich experience of the school of Ukrainian painting served as the basis for the development of the artist. Now she works in Kerch in a realistic painting style. (c)/

Mikhail Roskin
1923-1998, Uzhgorod
"Crystal vase with flowers", 1990
paper, pastel

/Born in Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region. He received artistic and professional training at the Studio of Military Artists named after. M. B. Grekova. Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine since 1978 (c)/

Elena Yablonskaya
1918-2009, Kyiv
"Scented tobacco on the window", 1945
cardboard, oil

/Sister of the artist Tatyana Yablonskaya. The wife of the outstanding Ukrainian artist E.V. Volobuev.
In 1941 she graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute. In 1945 she was awarded the Medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."
Member of the Union of Artists of the USSR since 1944.

Master of easel painting and book graphics. For twenty years Elena Nilovna illustrated books. Several generations of children grew up on her work. The artist led and pedagogical activity— taught graphic artists and sculptors.
In 1977 he was awarded the title “Honored Artist of Ukraine”.
Works by E.N. Yablonskaya are presented in the National Art Museum of Ukraine, in museums, galleries and private collections in Ukraine, Germany, England, the USA and other countries.(c)/

Oksana Pilipchuk
1977, Kyiv
"Still Life", 2001
oil, canvas

/Pilipchuk Oksana Dmitrievna - artist-painter, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, teacher of the Kyiv National University construction and architecture (department of drawing and painting).
The works are kept in many Ukrainian museums, as well as private collections in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Holland, USA, Japan, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Israel, France./

Evgeny Smirnov
1959, Sevastopol
"Still life with green pears", 2000
oil, canvas

/Born in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region, Russia. From 1975 to 1979 studied at the painting department of the Saratov Art School. Bogolyubova. Upon completion of his studies, Evgeny Smirnov moves to Sevastopol.
In 1993 he joined the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Since 2005 - Honored Artist of Ukraine.
The artist's works are in the Sevastopol Art Museum. M.P. Kroshitsky and in other museum and private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Germany and other countries./

Vera Chursina
1949, Kharkov
"Evening still life", 2005
oil, canvas

/Graphic artist, painter.
Born in the village. Borisovka Belgorod region., Russia.
In 1972 she graduated from the Oryol State Pedagogical Institute - art and graphic department.
In 1980 she defended her diploma at the Kharkov Art and Industry Institute, specializing in easel graphics. Honored Artist of Ukraine, member of the Kharkov branch of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, teacher of the Kharkov State Academy design and arts, professor of the department of painting.
Takes part in international, all-Ukrainian and regional exhibitions.
Since 1992 - member of the Economic Union of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.(c)/

Vladimir Kuznetsov
1924-1998, Kharkov
"Still Life", 1992
oil, cardboard

/ Graduated from the Kharkov Institute of Arts (1954), taught there. Regular participant city, regional and zonal exhibitions since 1954. The artist’s works are in many regional museums, in private collections in Russia and abroad./

Alexander Gromovoy
1958
"Still Life", 2011
oil, canvas

/Born in the village of Krasnopolye, Nikolaev region.
In 1987 he graduated from Uzhgorod State University, in 1993 - art and graphic department of the Odessa Pedagogical Institute named after K.D. Ushinsky. Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine since 1995./

Azat Safin
1961, Kharkov
"Still Life" 2003
oil, canvas

Anna Fainerman
1922-1991, Kyiv
"Still Life with Rowan", 1966
cardboard, oil

/Born in the village of Uspenskaya, Beloglinsky district, Krasnodar region of Russia. In 1941 she graduated from art high school them. T. G. Shevchenko. After graduating from the Faculty of Journalism of the Ural University in 1945, she entered the Kiev Art Institute, which she graduated in 1951.
While studying at the institute, she worked as a literary employee and proofreader at the Soviet Ukraine publishing house.
The wife of the famous Ukrainian artist Rapoport Boris Naumovich.

Member of the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian SSR since 1955. The works are stored in museums, galleries and private collections in Ukraine and abroad./

Adalbert Marton
1913-2005, Uzhgorod
Still life, 1969
paper, passel

/Ukrainian-Hungarian painter. Master of Transcarpathian landscape and still life.
Born in Clairton, USA. In 1936 he graduated from the art and industrial school in Gablonc, Czechoslovakia.
Since 1937 he lived and worked in Uzhgorod. Since 1957, he has participated in regional, republican, all-Union and international exhibitions. The artist’s works are in museums, galleries and private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, the USA, Canada and Japan. In 1972, the artist moved to Hungary, where he died in 2005. (c)/

Alexander Sheremet
1950, Kyiv
"Still Life", 2001
oil, canvas

Konstantin-Vadim Ignatov
1934, Kyiv
"Tea Ceremony" 1972
tempera canvas

/Born in Kharkov (Ukraine). Studied at art school city ​​of Kyiv, also studied at the Kiev State Art Institute.
IN Soviet time had a reputation as an outstanding illustrator and worked at the Veselka publishing house for about 30 years, where he illustrated more than 100 books. Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine./

Lesya Pryimych
1968
"Holy Evening", 2013
oil, canvas

/Born in Uzhgorod, Transcarpathian region.
Graduated from Lvov state institute applied and decorative arts (1992). Painter. Member of the National Union of Artists (2006)./

Andrey Zvezdov
1963-1996, Kyiv
Still life with autumn leaves" 1991
oil, cardboard

Karl Zvirinsky
1923-1997
"Still Life", 1965

Zoya Orlova
1981, Kyiv
Still life", 2004
cardboard, mixed media

Oleg Omelchenko
1980
"Still Life with a Clock", 2010
oil, canvas

Nikolay Kristopchuk
1934, Lviv
"Kosovo still life", 1983
oil, canvas

Boris Kolesnik
1927-1992, Kharkov
"Still Life", 1970
cardboard, oil

/Born in the village. Vilshany, Kharkov region.
In 1943-1949 studied at the Kharkov State Art School, in 1949-1955. - at the Kharkov State Art Institute.
In 1965 he joined the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian SSR.
The author of genre lyrical paintings that reveal the life and traditions of the Ukrainian people.
Works by Kolesnik B.A. are kept in the Museum of Russian Art in Kyiv, in art museums of Kharkov and other cities of Ukraine and the former USSR./

Konstantin Lomykin
1924-1993, Odessa
"Pears", 1980
cardboard, pastel

/Painter, graphic artist. People's Artist of Ukraine.
Born in Glukhov, Sumy region. In 1951 he graduated from the Odessa Art School. Member of the Odessa organization of the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian SSR since 1953.
Author thematic paintings, works everyday genre, landscapes and still lifes.
Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
The artist’s works are in art museums of Ukraine, as well as in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Japan, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Portugal and other countries./

Alexander Khmelnitsky
1924-1998, Kharkov
"Still Life with a Red Hat"
oil, canvas

/Born in Kharkov.
Participated in hostilities during the Great Patriotic War.
From 1947 to 1953 he studied at the Kharkov State Art Institute, then taught at the Kharkov State Art Institute (Kharkov Art and Industrial Institute), with1978 - professor
In 1956, he was accepted as a member of the Kharkov organization of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, and was the chairman of the painting section.
In 1974, he participated in the creation of the diorama “Forcing the Dnieper” in collaboration with A. Konstantinopolsky, V. Mokrozhitsky, V. Parchevsky for the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Kyiv.
People's Artist of Ukraine. He has been a corresponding member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts since 1997.
The artist’s works are in museums, galleries, private collections in Ukraine and abroad./

Vladimir Boguslavsky
1954, Lvov
"Bronze Jug", 2005
oil, canvas

Hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for your attention!

Still life in painting is an image of static inanimate objects combined into a single ensemble. A still life can be presented as an independent painting, but sometimes it becomes part of the composition of a genre scene or an entire painting.

What is still life?

Such painting is expressed in a person’s subjective attitude to the world. This shows the master's inherent understanding of beauty, which becomes the embodiment public values and the aesthetic ideal of the time. Still life in painting gradually transformed into a separate significant genre. This process took hundreds of years, and each new generation of artists understood canvases and color according to the trends of the era.

The role of still life in the composition of a painting is never limited to simple information, a random addition to the main content. Depending on the historical conditions and public requests, items may accept more or less Active participation in creating a composition or an individual image, obscuring one or another goal. Still life in painting as an independent genre is designed to reliably convey the beauty of things that surround a person every day.

Sometimes separate part or the element suddenly acquires deep meaning, gets its own meaning and sound.

Story

As an old and revered genre, still life painting has seen its ups and downs. Severe, ascetic and minimalist helped create immortal, monumental, generalized, sublimely heroic images. Sculptors enjoyed depicting individual objects with extraordinary expressiveness. Types of still life in painting and all sorts of classifications arose during the formation of art criticism, although canvases existed long before the first textbook was written.

Iconographic traditions and still lifes

In ancient Russian icon painting, a big role was played by those few things that the artist dared to introduce into the strict laconicism of canonical works. They contribute to the manifestation of everything immediate and demonstrate the expression of feelings in work devoted to an abstract or mythological subject.

Types of still life in painting exist separately from icon paintings, although the strict canon does not prohibit the depiction of some objects inherent in the genre.

Renaissance still life

However, works of the 15th-16th centuries play a major role during the Renaissance. The painter first drew attention to the world around him and sought to determine the meaning of each element in the service of humanity.

Modern painting and still life as a popular and beloved genre originated in the Tricento period. Household items acquired a certain nobility and importance of the owner whom they served. On large canvases, still life, as a rule, looks very modest and discreet - glass jar with water, the silver of an elegant vase or delicate lilies on thin stems more often huddled in a dark corner of the picture, like poor and forgotten relatives.

Nevertheless, in the image of beautiful and close things there was so much love in poetic form that modern painting, the still life and its role in it were already timidly visible through the gaps in the landscapes and the heavy curtains of the genre scenes.

Crucial moment

Subjects gained a real element in paintings and new meaning in the 17th century - an era when still life with flowers was prevalent and dominant. Paintings of this kind gained numerous fans among the nobility and clergy. In complex compositions with pronounced literary storyline scenes got their place along with the main characters. Analyzing the works of the era, it is easy to notice that important role Still life similarly manifested itself in literature, theater and sculpture. Things began to “act” and “live” in these works - they were shown as the main characters, demonstrating the best and most advantageous aspects of objects.

Objects of art made by hardworking and talented craftsmen, bear the personal imprint of the thoughts, desires, and inclinations of a particular person. painting is the best psychological tests help to track the psycho-emotional state and achieve internal harmony and integrity.

Things faithfully serve a person, taking over his delight in everyday objects and inspiring their owners to acquire new beautiful, elegant little things.

Flemish Renaissance

People did not immediately accept gouache painting and still life as a genre. History of emergence, development and widespread implementation different ideas and principles serves as a reminder of the constant development of thought. Still life became famous and fashionable in the mid-17th century. The genre began in the Netherlands, bright and festive Flanders, where nature itself invites beauty and fun.

Gouache painting and still life flourished in a time of tremendous change, a complete change in political, social and religious institutions.

Flanders Current

The bourgeois direction of development in Flanders became a novelty and progress for the whole of Europe. Changes in political life led to similar innovations in culture - the horizons that opened up for artists were no longer limited by religious prohibitions and were not supported by relevant traditions.

Still life became the flagship of a new art that glorified everything natural, bright and beautiful. The strict canons of Catholicism no longer restrained the flight of imagination and curiosity of painters, and therefore, along with art, science and technology began to develop.

Ordinary everyday things and objects, previously considered base and unworthy of mention, suddenly rose to the level of objects of close study. Decorative painting, still life and landscapes have become a real mirror of life - everyday routine, diet, culture, ideas about beauty.

Genre properties

It is from here, from the conscious, in-depth study the surrounding world has developed separate genre household painting, landscape, still life.

Art, which acquired certain canons in the 17th century, determined the main quality of the genre. A painting dedicated to the world of things describes the basic properties inherent in the objects that surround a person, shows the attitude of the master and his hypothetical contemporary to what is shown, expresses the nature and completeness of knowledge about reality. The artist necessarily conveyed the material existence of things, their volume, weight, textures, colors, functional purpose of household items and their life connection with human activity.

Tasks and problems of still life

Decorative painting, still life and everyday scenes absorbed the new trends of the era - a departure from the canons and at the same time maintaining the conservative naturalism of the image.

Still life of the revolutionary era during the complete victory of the bourgeoisie reflects the artist’s respect for the new forms of national life of his compatriots, respect for the work of ordinary artisans, admiration for beautiful images beauty.

The problems and tasks of the genre as a whole, formulated in the 17th century, were not discussed in European schools until the mid-19th century. Meanwhile, artists constantly set themselves new and new tasks, and did not continue to mechanically reproduce ready-made compositional solutions and color schemes.

Modern canvases

Photos of still lifes for painting, prepared in modern studios, clearly demonstrate the difference between the perception of the world by a contemporary and a person of the Middle Ages. The dynamics of objects today exceeds all conceivable limits, and the static nature of objects was the norm for that time. The color combinations of the 17th century are distinguished by their brightness and purity of color. Rich shades fit harmoniously into the composition and emphasize the artist’s intentions and ideas. The absence of any canons in the best possible way influenced still lifes of the 20th and 21st centuries, sometimes amazing its ugliness or deliberate diversity.

Methods for solving still life problems change rapidly every decade; methods and techniques do not keep up with the imagination of recognized and not so recognized masters.

The value of today's paintings lies in the expression of reality through the eyes of contemporary artists; through embodiment on canvas, new worlds arise that will be able to tell a lot about their creators to the people of the future.

Impressionist influence

The next milestone in the history of still lifes was impressionism. The entire evolution of the direction was reflected in the compositions through colors, technique and understanding of space. The Last Romantics For millennia, they have been transferring life as it is onto canvas - quick, bright strokes and expressive details have become the cornerstones of the style.

Painting, still lifes contemporary artists certainly bear the imprint of their impressionist inspirations through color, methods and techniques of depiction.

A departure from the standard canons of classicism - three plans, central composition And historical heroes- allowed artists to develop their own perception of color and light, as well as to clearly and clearly demonstrate the free flight of emotions to the audience.

The main tasks of the impressionists are to change the painting technique and the psychological content of the picture. And today, even knowing the situation of that era, it is difficult to find the correct answer to the question of why impressionist landscapes, as joyful and ingenuous as poetry, evoked sharp rejection and rude ridicule from picky critics and the enlightened public.

Impressionist painting did not fit into the generally accepted framework, so still lifes and landscapes were perceived as something vulgar, unworthy of recognition along with other waste of high art.

The art exhibition, which became a kind of missionary activity for famous artists of that time, was able to reach hearts and demonstrate the beauty and grace. Images of objects and objects by all available means became commonplace even within the walls of formidable institutions that professed only the principles of classical art. The triumphal procession of still life paintings has not stopped since the end of the 19th century, and the variety of genres and techniques today allows one not to be afraid of any experiments with color, textures and materials.

Still life is a genre that gained prominence in Western art towards the end of the 16th century and has remained an important genre ever since. Still life paintings are classified by the depiction of common objects, which can be natural, such as flowers, fruits, etc., or artificial, such as glasses, musical instruments, etc. Below is a list of the 10 most famous still life paintings by famous artists including Chardin, Paul Cezanne, Van Gogh and Giorgio Morandi.

No. 10 Series of still lifes, Artist Tom Wesselman

The pop art movement emerged in the 1950s and uses recognizable images from popular culture. Among the most popular works of pop art is a series of still lifes by Tom Wesselmann. His still lifes depict the elements modern world, not fruits and vegetables previous generation artists of this genre. This work (Still Life #30) is a combination of painting, sculpture and a collage of trademarks that Tom saw on the street.

No. 9 Vanitas with violin and glass ball

Artist: Peter Claes