Collection is a selection of the best still lifes in world painting. Famous still lifes

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 to tell people something important through a certain set of objects, their arrangement, chosen colors, general composition, convey what worries them, tell 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 dark nature with deep philosophical meaning and dark tones, in the center of the composition, which included skulls, candles and some other attributes. Then, gradually developing, the genre absorbed more and more new directions and over and over again 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, 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 undergoes new rise and now firmly takes 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.

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 social demands, objects can take a more or less active part in creating a composition or an individual image, overshadowing one or another goal. Still life in painting how independent genre designed to reliably convey the beauty of things that surround a person every day.

Sometimes a separate part or 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. Everyday objects acquired a certain nobility and significance 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 a pronounced literary storyline, scenes took their place along with the main characters. Analyzing the works of the era, it is easy to notice that the important role of still life was similarly manifested 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. The history of the emergence, development and widespread implementation of various 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 simple artisans, and admiration for beautiful images of 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 striking the imagination with their ugliness or deliberate variegation.

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.

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, the 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, according to him in my own words, “to convey with strict clarity 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 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, portrait and historical painting. However, it should be noted that the subject in his work always played 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. 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. It `s music 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.

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 genre of still life great attention was devoted 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.

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 a leisurely and a serene life 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 played a big role in pedagogical system Academy of Arts in the XVIII- XIX century x (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 a still life 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 an artist who lovingly depicted every object, every smallest thing.

The still life presented in the “Office in Ostrovki”, although it occupies a small place in 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 wrote many beautiful paintings in the spirit Dutch still life XVII century. Among his best works are “Flowers and Fruits” (1836, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), “Portrait of a Wife with Flowers and Fruits” (1838, Art Museum 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 very direct part in 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 with its laconicism, is presented on famous painting Fedotov “Major's Matchmaking” (1848). The glass is tangibly and realistically conveyed: the glasses on tall legs, bottle, 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. Solomatkina (“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 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.”

However, many Russian artists who did not paint still lifes admired them when looking at the canvases 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).