Still life in painting: types and description. What is still life? Still life in classical style

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 of social 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 historical conditions and social demands, objects can take a more or less active part 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 a separate detail or element suddenly acquires deep meaning, receives 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, a still life, as a rule, looks very modest and discreet - a glass jar of water, silver in an elegant vase or delicate lilies on thin stems often huddled in a dark corner of the picture, like poor and forgotten relatives.

Nevertheless, there was so much love in the image of beautiful and close things in poetic form that modern painting, still life and its role in it were already timidly visible through the gaps of landscapes and the heavy curtains of 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, better than all psychological tests, helps 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 was from here, from a conscious, in-depth study of the surrounding world, that a separate genre of everyday painting, landscape, and still life developed.

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, the functional purpose of household items and their vital 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 did not have the best effect on still lifes of the 20th and 21st centuries, which sometimes amaze 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 of the millennium transferred life as it is to canvas - quick, bright strokes and expressive details became the cornerstones of the style.

Paintings and still lifes by contemporary artists certainly bear the imprint of their Impressionist inspirations through color, methods and techniques of depiction.

The departure from the standard canons of classicism - three plans, a central composition and historical heroes - allowed the 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 Still life

(French nature morte, Italian natura morta, literally - dead nature; Dutch stilleven, German Stilleben, English still life, literally - quiet or motionless life), a genre of fine art (mainly easel painting), which is dedicated to the image things surrounding a person, placed, as a rule, in a real everyday environment and compositionally organized into a single group. The special organization of the motif (the so-called staging) is one of the main components of the figurative system of the still life genre. In addition to inanimate objects (for example, household items), still life depicts objects of living nature, isolated from natural connections and thereby turned into a thing - fish on the table, flowers in a bouquet, etc. Complementing the main motive, the still life may include images of people, animals, birds, insects. The depiction of things in a still life has an independent artistic significance, although in the process of development it often served to express symbolic content, solve decorative problems or accurately capture the objective world in natural history, etc. At the same time, a still life can characterize not only things in themselves, but also social status, content and lifestyle of their owner, give rise to numerous associations and social analogies.

Still life motifs as details of compositions are found already in the art of the Ancient East and antiquity; some phenomena in the medieval art of the Far East are partly comparable with still life (for example, the so-called “flowers-birds” genre), but the birth of still life as an independent genre occurs in modern times, when in the works of Italian and especially Dutch masters of the Renaissance, attention to the material world and its concrete, sensual image developed. The history of still life as a genre of easel painting, and in particular its type of "trompe l"oeil" (the so-called trompe l'oeil), is opened by the illusionistically accurately recreating objects of the "Still Life" of the Italian Jacopo de Barbari (1504). The spread of the still life genre occurs in the second half of the 16th century - the beginning XVII centuries, which was facilitated by the natural scientific inclinations characteristic of this era, the interest of art in the everyday life and private life of a person, as well as the very development of methods of artistic exploration of the world (the works of the Dutchman P. Aertsen, the Fleming J. Bruegel Velvetny, etc.).

The heyday of still life - the 17th century. The diversity of its types and forms at this time is associated with the development of national realistic schools of painting. In Italy and Spain, the rise of still life painting was greatly facilitated by the work of Caravaggio and his followers ( cm. Caravaggism). 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 still life is characterized by sublime severity and special significance in the depiction of things (X. Sanchez Cotan, F. Zurbaran, A. Pereda, etc.). Interest in the everyday nature of things, intimacy, and often democratic images were clearly manifested in Dutch still life. It is characterized by special attention to the transfer of the light environment, the varied texture of materials, the subtlety of tonal relationships and color structure - from the exquisitely modest coloring of the “monochrome breakfasts” of V. Kheda and P. Klas to the intensely contrasting, coloristically effective compositions of V. Kalf (“desserts”) "). Dutch still life is distinguished by an abundance of different types of this genre: “fish” (A. Beyeren), “flowers and fruits” (J. D. de Heem), “dead game” (J. Wenicke, M. Hondekoeter), allegorical still life “vanitas” " ("vanity of vanities"), etc. Flemish still life (mainly "markets", "shops", "flowers and fruits") is distinguished by the scope and at the same time decorativeness of the compositions: these are hymns to fertility and abundance (F. Snyders, J. Veit) , In the 17th century. German (G. Flegel, K. Paudis) and French (L. Bozhen) still life also developed. From the end of the 17th century. in French still life, decorative tendencies of court art triumphed ("flowers" by J. B. Monnoyer and his school, hunting still life by A. F. Deporte and J. B. Oudry). Against this background, the works of one of the most significant masters of French still life, J. B. S. Chardin, stand out with genuine humanity and democracy, marked by the rigor and freedom of compositions, and the subtlety of coloristic solutions. In the middle of the 18th century. During the period of the final formation of the academic hierarchy of genres, the term “nature morte” arose, which reflected the disdainful attitude towards this genre of supporters of academicism, who gave preference to genres whose area was “living nature” (historical genre, portrait, etc.).

In the 19th century The fate of still life was determined by leading masters of painting, who worked in many genres and involved still life in the struggle of aesthetic views and artistic ideas (F. Goya in Spain, E. Delacroix, G. Courbet, E. Manet in France). Among the masters of the 19th century who specialized in this genre, A. Fantin-Latour (France) and W. Harnett (USA) also stand out. The new rise of still life painting was associated with the performance of the masters of post-impressionism, for whom the world of things became one of the main themes (P. Cezanne, V. van Gogh). Since the beginning of the 20th century. still life is a kind of creative laboratory of painting. In France, the masters of Fauvism (A. Matisse and others) follow the path of heightened identification of the emotional and decorative-expressive capabilities of color and texture, and representatives of Cubism (J. Braque, P. Picasso, X. Gris, etc.), using the inherent in the specifics of still life, artistic and analytical possibilities, strive to establish new ways of conveying space and form. Still life also attracts masters of other movements (A. Kanoldt in Germany, G. Morandi in Italy, S. Luchian in Romania, B. Kubista and E. Filla in the Czech Republic, etc.). Social trends in still life of the 20th century are represented by the works of D. Rivera and D. Siqueiros in Mexico, R. Guttuso in Italy.

Still life appeared in Russian art in the 18th century. together with the establishment of secular painting, reflecting the cognitive pathos of the era and the desire to truthfully and accurately convey the objective world (the “tricks” of G. N. Teplov, P. G. Bogomolov, T. Ulyanov, etc.). The further development of Russian still life for a considerable time was episodic. Its slight rise in the first half of the 19th century. (F. P. Tolstoy, school of A. G. Venetsianov, I. T. Khrutsky) is associated with the desire to see beauty in the small and ordinary. In the second half of the 19th century. I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, V. I. Surikov, V. D. Polenov, I. I. Levitan only occasionally turned to still life of a sketch nature; the auxiliary significance of still life in the artistic system of the Wanderers followed from their idea of ​​the dominant role of the subject-thematic picture. The independent significance of the still life sketch increases at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. (M. A. Vrubel, V. E. Borisov-Musatov). The heyday of Russian still life occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. His best examples include the impressionistic works of K. A. Korovin, I. E. Grabar; works of artists from the “World of Art” (A. Ya. Golovin and others) subtly playing up the historical and everyday nature of things; sharply decorative images of P. V. Kuznetsov, N. N. Sapunov, S. Yu. Sudeikin, M. S. Saryan and other painters of the “Blue Rose” circle; bright, imbued with the fullness of being, still lifes by the masters of the “Jack of Diamonds” (P. P. Konchalovsky, I. I. Mashkov, A. V. Kuprin, V. V. Rozhdestvensky, A. V. Lentulov, R. R. Falk, N. S. Goncharova). Soviet still life, developing in line with the art of socialist realism, is enriched with new content. In the 20-30s. it includes a philosophical understanding of modernity in works sharpened in composition (K. S. Petrov-Vodkin), and thematic “revolutionary” still lifes (F. S. Bogorodsky and others), and attempts to again tangibly find the “thing” rejected by the so-called non-objectless people. through experiments in the field of color and texture (D. P. Shterenberg, N. I. Altman), and a full-blooded recreation of the colorful richness and diversity of the objective world (A. M. Gerasimov, Konchalovsky, Mashkov, Kuprin. Lentulov, Saryan, A. A . Osmerkin, etc.), as well as the search for subtle coloristic harmony, poeticization of the world of things (V.V. Lebedev, N.A. Tyrsa, etc.). In the 40-50s. Still lifes, significantly diverse in style, reflecting the essential features of modern eras, were created by P. V. Kuznetsov, Yu. I. Pimenov and others. In the 60-70s. P.P. are actively working in still life. Konchalovsky, V. B. Elkonik, V. F. Stozharov, A. Yu. Nikich. Among the masters of still life in the Union republics, A. Akopyan in Armenia, T. F. Narimanbekov in Azerbaijan, L. Svemp and L. Endzelina in Latvia, N. I. Kormashov in Estonia stand out. The tendency towards increased “objectivity” of the image, the aestheticization of the world of things around a person, led to an interest in still life among young artists of the 70s and early 80s. (Ya. G. Anmanis, A. I. Akhaltsev, O. V. Bulgakova, M. V. Leis, etc.).

V. Kheda. "Breakfast with blackberry pie." 1631. Picture gallery. Dresden.

P. Cezanne. "Peaches and pears." Late 1880s Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin. Moscow.

K. S. Petrov-Vodkin. "Morning still life." 1918. Russian Museum. Leningrad.

I. I. Mashkov. "Moscow food: breads." 1924. Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow.

Source: "Popular Art Encyclopedia." Ed. Polevoy V.M.; M.: Publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1986.)

(French nature morte - dead nature), one of the genres of painting. Still lifes depict 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 lifes included in plot compositions are already found in the painting of the Ancient world (wall paintings in Pompeii). 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. 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.
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). Also popular were 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”). Dutch still lifes, as well as 17th century still life in general, are characterized by the presence of hidden philosophical overtones, complex Christian or love symbolism (the lemon was a symbol of moderation, the dog - fidelity, etc.) At the same time, artists with love and delight recreated in still lifes the diversity of the world (shimmering silks and velvets, heavy carpet tablecloths, shimmering silver, juicy berries and noble wine). The composition of still lifes is simple and stable, subordinated to the diagonal or pyramid shape. The main “hero” is always highlighted in it, for example a glass, a jug. Masters subtly build relationships between objects, contrasting or, conversely, comparing their color, shape, surface texture. The smallest details are carefully written out. Small in format, these paintings are designed for close examination, long contemplation and comprehension of their hidden meaning.

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 “benches” (Ya. Feit, 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.
Spanish artists preferred to limit themselves to a small set of objects and worked in a restrained color scheme. Dishes, fruits or shells in the paintings of F. Zurbaran and A. The fronts are sedately placed on the table. Their 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 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).
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.
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. The monumentality of the composition, spare lines, elementary, rigid forms in Cezanne’s paintings are intended to reveal the structure, the basis of the thing and remind of the immutable laws of the world order. The artist sculpts the form with color, emphasizing its materiality. At the same time, the subtle play of colors, especially cold blue, gives his still lifes a feeling of air and spaciousness. The line of Cézanne still life painting was continued in Russia by masters “ Jack of Diamonds"(I.I. Mashkov, P.P. Konchalovsky etc.), combining it with the traditions of Russian folk art. Artists "Blue Rose"(N.N. Sapunov, S. Yu. Sudeikin) created nostalgic, antique-style compositions. The still lifes of K.S. are imbued with philosophical generalizations. Petrova-Vodkina. In the 20th century P. solved his creative problems in the still life genre. Picasso, A. Matisse, D. Morandi. In Russia, the greatest masters of this genre were M.S. Saryan, P.V. Kuznetsov, A. M. Gerasimov, V. F. Stozharov and others.

Still life, genre of fine art

In the 19th century The fate of still life was determined by leading masters of painting, who worked in many genres and involved still life in the struggle of aesthetic views and artistic ideas (F. Goya in Spain, E. Delacroix, G. Courbet, E. Manet in France). Among the masters of the 19th century who specialized in this genre, A. Fantin-Latour (France) and W. Harnett (USA) also stand out. The new rise of still life painting was associated with the performance of the masters of post-impressionism, for whom the world of things became one of the main themes (P. Cezanne, V. van Gogh). Since the beginning of the 20th century. still life is a kind of creative painting laboratory. In France, the masters of Fauvism (A. Matisse and others) follow the path of acute identification of the emotional and decorative-expressive capabilities of color and texture, and representatives of Cubism (J. Braque, P. Picasso, X. Gris, etc.), using the inherent in the specifics of still life, artistic and analytical possibilities, strive to establish new ways of conveying space and form. Still life also attracts masters of other movements (A. Kanoldt in Germany, G. Morandi in Italy, S. Lucian in Romania, B. Kubista and E. Filla in the Czech Republic, etc.). Social trends in still life of the 20th century are represented by the works of D. Rivera and D. Siqueiros in Mexico, R. Guttuso in Italy.

In Russian art still life appeared in the 18th century. together with the establishment of secular painting, reflecting the cognitive pathos of the era and the desire to truthfully and accurately convey the objective world (the “tricks” of G. N. Teplov, P. G. Bogomolov, T. Ulyanov, etc.). The further development of Russian still life for a considerable time was episodic. Its slight rise in the first half of the 19th century. (F. P. Tolstoy, school of A. G. Venetsianov, I. T. Khrutsky) is associated with the desire to see beauty in the small and ordinary. In the second half of the 19th century. I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, V. I. Surikov, V. D. Polenov, I. I. Levitan only occasionally turned to still life of a sketch nature; the auxiliary significance of still life in the artistic system of the Wanderers followed from their idea of ​​the dominant role of the subject-thematic picture. The independent significance of the still life sketch increases at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. (M. A. Vrubel, V. E. Borisov-Musatov). The heyday of Russian still life occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. His best examples include the impressionistic works of K. A. Korovin, I. E. Grabar; works of artists from the “World of Art” (A. Ya. Golovin and others) subtly playing up the historical and everyday nature of things; sharply decorative images of P. V. Kuznetsov, N. N. Sapunov, S. Yu. Sudeikin, M. S. Saryan and other painters of the “Blue Rose” circle; bright, imbued with the fullness of being, still lifes of the masters of the “Jack of Diamonds” (P. P. Konchalovsky, I. I. Mashkov, A. V. Kuprin, V. V. Rozhdestvensky, A. V. Lentulov, R. R. Falk, N. S. Goncharova). Soviet still life, developing in line with the art of socialist realism, is enriched with new content. In the 20-30s. it includes a philosophical understanding of modernity in works sharpened in composition (K. S. Petrov-Vodkin), and thematic “revolutionary” still lifes (F. S. Bogorodsky and others), and attempts to again tangibly find the “thing” rejected by the so-called non-objectless people. through experiments in the field of color and texture (D. P. Shterenberg, N. I. Altman), and a full-blooded recreation of the colorful richness and diversity of the objective world (A. M. Gerasimov, Konchalovsky, Mashkov, Kuprin. Lentulov, Saryan, A. A . Osmerkin, etc.), as well as the search for subtle coloristic harmony, poeticization of the world of things (V.V. Lebedev, N.A. Tyrsa, etc.). In the 40-50s. Still lifes, significantly diverse in style, reflecting the essential features of modern eras, were created by P. V. Kuznetsov, Yu. I. Pimenov and others. In the 60-70s. P. P. Konchalovsky, V. are actively working in still life. B. Elkonik, V. F. Stozharov, A. Yu. Nikich. Among the masters of still life in the Union republics, A. Akopyan in Armenia, T. F. Narimanbekov in Azerbaijan, L. Svemp and L. Endzelina in Latvia, N. I. Kormashov in Estonia stand out. The tendency towards increased “objectivity” of the image, the aestheticization of the world of things around a person, led to an interest in still life among young artists of the 70s and early 80s. (Ya. G. Anmanis, A. I. Akhaltsev, O. V. Bulgakova, M. V. Leis, etc.).

Lit.: B. R. Vipper, The problem and development of still life. (The Life of Things), Kazan, 1922; Yu. I. Kuznetsov, Western European still life, L.-M., 1966; M. M. Rakova, Russian still life of the late XIX - early XX centuries, M., 1970; I. N. Pruzhan, V. A. Pushkarev, Still life in Russian and Soviet painting. L., ; Yu. Ya. Gerchuk, Living Things, M., 1977; Still life in European painting of the 16th - early 20th centuries. Catalog, M., 1984; Sterling Ch., La nature morte de l'antiquité a nos jours, P., 1952; Dorf B., Introduction to still-life and flower painting, L., 1976; Ryan A., Still-life painting techniques, L. , 1978.

Instructions

Still life as a genre did not immediately emerge; for a long time, paintings depicting flowers and household items were used as a framing addition to other paintings, as well as as decoration on furniture doors. The first independent paintings appeared around the 17th century. Then images of objects began to be used as allegories, and each object had an additional symbolic meaning. Later, still life became popular among artists, but was considered an inferior genre.

There are several types of still life, one of the earliest and most common is the flower still life, the next most popular is the still life of a set table. The symbolic still life also continues to exist. Another type that has appeared relatively recently is abstract still life; in this style, objects are not depicted realistically, the forms are schematic, and the colors lack smooth transitions.

If you are interested in drawing, you have probably already made a lot of drawings and paintings in this genre. In order to draw a still life, you don’t need to waste time and effort looking for interesting objects to draw; you can always create a good composition from objects that are always at hand. Use drapery as a background; a small piece of fabric will do just fine. Arrange objects so that you get several shots, remember that large objects should be in the background and those that are smaller. Place an additional side color source, this will give the objects volume. Regular practice with such settings will allow you to hone your drawing skills.

Video on the topic

Sources:

• Composition in still life
• What is still life

Good still life is born long before you pick up paint and a brush. Success depends on how you choose the objects that you will draw and how you arrange them in space.

Instructions

Come up with a theme for your still life. Of course, you can put all the items on the table at once, but components united by one story, guessed by the personality of their owner, or at least stylistically, will look much more logical.

Sort all the components by shape. It is advisable that it be varied - find objects that are high and low, wide and narrow. Otherwise, the monotony of shapes in the picture will lead to everything being mixed into one mass and objects simply “falling out” of vision.

Make sure that it does not consist of products and things that do not match in color. If you find it difficult to determine this by eye, use a color wheel. Inscribe an equilateral triangle in it. Its angles will indicate three primary colors that go well together. As additional colors, you can take shades that are on the sides of the main ones.

Choose a suitable background. You can lay out the still life on a drapery or uncovered surface. It is important that it be neutral in color (if the shades of the objects are saturated) or be combined with the entire composition. In any case, the background should not take the lion's share of the viewer's attention.

Still life as an independent genre of painting finally took shape in the 17th century. in the works of Dutch and Flemish artists.

Until that time, it was not an independent genre, but was only included in other genres as a frame for other paintings (for example, with flower garlands), decorating furniture, interiors, etc.

Term

The word “still life” translated from French means “dead nature” (nature morte). Flowers in a vase are a still life; the same flowers in a flowerbed or in the front garden - landscape. In a broad sense, a still life is an artistic depiction of inanimate objects: plants, game, dishes, etc. The artist does not depict objects “from life”, as they are located in the interior, but deliberately arranges them in such a way as to solve some of his own semantic and artistic problems.
Often still lifes contain a hidden allegory through the use of ordinary objects, which the artist endows with symbol, additional meaning and meaning. An example of an allegorical still life is vanitas (from the Latin vanitas “vanity, vanity”).

Varieties of still life

Vanitas

Michael Conrad Hirt. Vanitas
Vanitas is an allegorical still life. Usually it depicts, among other things, a skull. Such a still life is intended to remind us of the transience of life, the futility of pleasures and the inevitability of death - reflection on the meaning of human existence. The term is taken from a verse from the Bible: “Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” In Latin it sounded like this: “ Vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas" You can read more about vanitas.

Dutch still life

Dutch still life, formed in the 17th century. as an independent genre, influenced the further development of all European painting. It turns out that ordinary objects also live, but their life is quiet and unnoticeable to humans. There is some kind of mystery in this. Apparently, this is why the genre of still life became popular and has survived to this day. Sometimes a still life attracts the eye, excites the senses, it is impossible to tear yourself away from it - some associations arise, fleeting memories...

Flower still life

This type of still life is perhaps the most common and the very first to emerge as a separate genre.

Jan Davids de Heem (1606-1684). Still life with flower vase (circa 1645). National Gallery of Art (Washington)
Traditionally, many flowers were grown and gardens were planted in the Netherlands, so floral still lifes were a natural extension of social life. The very first artists of this genre were Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573-1621) and Balthasar van der Ast (1593-1657).

Ambrosius Bosshart the Elder "Tulips, roses, white and pink carnations, forget-me-nots and other flowers in a vase" (circa 1619). Oil on copper

Scientist still life

The most intellectual type of still life. Such still lifes required reflection on what was depicted, and for this, knowledge of the Bible and other knowledge about the world. Vanitas can also be included in this category, but the scientific still life has a broader theme: it contains books, musical instruments, etc.

Maria van Oosterwijk. Still life

D. Annenkov “Reflections with Baudelaire”

Still life in Russian painting

In Russia, still life as an independent genre appeared at the beginning of the 18th century. But for some time (almost until the end of the 19th century), still life was considered a lower genre and depicted only flowers and fruits.
A famous artist of this genre in the 19th century. there was I. Khrutsky.

I. Khrutsky. Still Life with Vase (1832)

I. Khrutsky “Flowers and Fruits” (1838)
In the 20th century Russian still life painting became equal among other genres. Artists worked on the perfection of color, form, composition, and the genre began to develop rapidly.
Famous Russian and Soviet artists who worked and are working in the still life genre: Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939), Igor Grabar (1871-1960), Pyotr Konchalovsky (1876-1956), Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939), Martiros Saryan ( 1880-1972), Ilya Mashkov (1881-1944), Elena Skuin (1909-1986), Peter Alberti (1913-1994), Sergei Osipov (1915-1985), Evgenia Antipova (1917-2009), Victor Teterin (1922- 1991), Maya Kopytseva (1924-2005), Yaroslav Krestovsky (1925-2003), Vladimir Stozharov (1926-1973), Boris Shamanov (1931-2008), etc.

E. Skuin “Peonies and Cherries” (1956)

V. Stozharov. Still Life with Rowan (1969)

Still life in various styles and art movements

Turn of the XIX-XX centuries. known for experiments in the field of artistic creativity. Still life also did not escape this fate. The first to experiment with still life were Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse and others.

P. Cezanne. Still life with drapery (1889). Hermitage (St. Petersburg)
The cubist P. Picasso boldly experimented.

P. Picasso “Jug, glass and book” (1908)
J. Braque also worked in the Cubist style.

J. Braque “Musical Instruments” (1908)
Cubo-futurists worked in search of a new space-time dimension.

K. Malevich “Cow and Violin” (1913). State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg)
His “... intuitive feeling found in things the energy of dissonance obtained from the meeting of two opposite forms” (K. Malevich “From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism”).
In the metaphysical still lifes of Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964), objects press against each other, forming dense groups, as if trying to preserve warmth, fearing external cold and aggression.

Giorgio Morandi. Natura Morta (1956)
The most famous representative of surrealism, Salvador Dali, in his famous work “The Persistence of Memory,” which is essentially an allegorical still life, reflects on the relativity of time.

S. Dali “The Persistence of Memory” (1931)
Commercial advertising of the second half of the 20th century. fostered in people a greedy attitude towards things and insatiable consumption. There is a fetishization of the subject. Elements of the still life genre are beginning to transform from art into a source of consumption.

Andy Warhol "Campbell's Soup Can" (1968)
Dmitry Krasnopevtsev represents Russian “unofficial” art, although he has a completely official classical art education (graduated from the Moscow Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov).

D. Krasnopevtsev. Still life
Krasnopevtsev’s main genre is “metaphysical still life” close to surrealism with simple, often broken ceramics, dry plants and shells. These works, written in ashy tones, develop the motif of the frailty and unreality of the world.
But the still life paintings of the contemporary artist Dmitry Annenkov are quite “animated”. They are different: joyful, sad, funny, but quite alive. I want to touch them. Looking at these still lifes, it is impossible not to smile kindly.

D. Annenkov “Still life with a coffee grinder”

D. Annenkov “Spring Sun”

D. Annenkov “Memories of Summer”