Still Life Painting 1

Still life painting has come a long way from decorative art and religious symbolism to an independent genre that remains popular even today. Of course, contemporary artists no longer stick with the canons of classics applying new principles to the old genre. Let’s see how it evolved through centuries.

Evolution of the genre

The genre of still life was born in ancient Egypt and Greece. Back then, people didn’t have many tools at their disposal. Early Egyptian paintings of inanimate objects were flat and looked more like graphics. Greeks were realistic in their works, but still not accurate enough in details and perspective. For a long time, still life elements were used mostly for decorative purposes – until the 17th century when still life became an independent genre. Thanks to such names as Jan Brueghel, Pieter Claesz and others, depiction of items became highly detailed and gained a symbolic meaning.

Nowadays, there are no boundaries for still life painting. Depending on the author’s style, it can be formal, abstract, or express a certain idea important for the artist. Some think painting inanimate objects is easy because you have a certain degree of control over them. However, it requires you to know how to deal with light, arrange a harmonious composition, create deeper shadows and take care of many other aspects that make a good still life. Take a closer look at this canvas and you will realize how much work was put into it!

Compositional features

• - The painting depicts different kinds of fruits: peaches, grapes, cherries and lemon. They all look ripe and delicious owning to their saturated color. In general, the palette is warm as it contains mostly red, yellow and brownish hues.
• - Look at the variety of shapes used by the artist. Tiny, plump, oval and round fruits complete each other and create a harmonious ensemble. There is also a glass of wine in the background – it stands out because of its long silhouette.
• - The author pays close attention to the setting as well. Realistic texture of the wooden table together with detailed folds of the curtain and tablecloth make the scene very plausible.
• - The inclusion of green leaves makes this still life even more vivid. It seems that the grapes have just been picked and one fresh bunch is still hanging from the vine.

This simple yet elegant work of art will remind you of sunny days, juicy fruits and flavored wine. Buying this contemporary oil painting will add warmth and color to your interior and give it a new, cozy look!