Top 10 most famous and beautiful still lifes in the world

This direction of fine art was singled out in the XNUMXth century in Holland. Of course, artists have painted inanimate objects before, but usually they were part of the composition.

In Russia, the still life genre was recognized much later (in the XNUMXth century). For a long time it was considered inferior, perceived as a training production. However, even now, for most people, still lifes are a meaningless art form, banal and uninteresting.

Artists depict fruits, candles, flowers, food and other objects, but don’t these paintings make sense? On the contrary, it is hidden so deeply that not every art connoisseur will be able to find it. When creating still lifes, symbols and images are used, each of them is identified with various life situations and phenomena, feelings and emotions.

Over four centuries, a huge number of paintings of this genre have been created, but among them the most famous still lifes can be distinguished.

10 “Lilac”, Pyotr Konchalovsky

Picture “lilac” located in the Latvian Art Museum (Riga). Created in 1951. This is not the only image of the beautiful flowers of the shrub. Pyotr Konchalovsky was a fan of the plant, he was even called the “lilac singer”. Throughout his life, he painted more than 40 beautiful still lifes with a similar theme.

In this version, lilac branches are in an ordinary jar on a dirty and rough table. Contrast. The work was created at the beginning of the Stalinist repressions. Konchalovsky understood that injustice reigned in the country. But the flowers have blossomed, and it seems that the canvas has its own smell – spring and hope for the best. Against all odds.

9. “Finnish Bouquet”, Boris Kustodiev

Flower still life of 1917, kept in the State Museum of the city of Arkhangelsk. Boris Kustodiev was a talented portrait painter, and “Finnish bouquet” belongs to the Vyborg period. At this time, the artist was undergoing rehabilitation after surgery. The picture was painted in a sanatorium. It depicts ordinary plants: chamomile, thistle, fern. The drawing is simple and uncomplicated, it pleases the eye. When you see the picture, you understand that happiness is commonplace. Beauty is near, and for true joy you need very little.

8. Curtain, Jug and Fruit Bowl by Paul Cezanne

“Curtain, jug and fruit bowl” – one of the most famous and beautiful paintings in the still life genre. Created in the late 90s of the XIX century. In 1999, it was sold at auction for a record price of $60 million.

Indeed, you can not just pass by this picture. It attracts visually with its unbalanced parts. The colors contrast: the coldness of the jug and the warmth of the fruit. Thanks to subtle color transitions, Cézanne managed to reproduce objects three-dimensional, three-dimensional.

7. “Still Life”, Kazimir Malevich

The picture was created in 1910. Located in the State Russian Museum. Malevich wrote it during the period of creative searches. He felt like a reformer, fought against realism, and considered classicism a phenomenon that had become obsolete. many of his “Still life” seems unusual: as if this is an inept drawing of a child, and not an experienced artist.

In the center of the work is a white vase with fruits, some of which are on the table. The picture is heterogeneous. Its parts belong to different styles. With this beautiful work, Malevich wanted to show that reality is secondary (in relation to the pictorial form). Even here one can notice a distinctive feature that is inherent in many works by Kazimir Severinovich – the use of bright colors, which have become a symbol of the artist’s irrepressible energy.

6. “Still Life with Skull and Feather” by Pieter Claesz

“Still Life with Skull and Feather” can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). It was created in 1628. Belongs to the vanitas genre (still lifes dedicated to death).

The image is beautiful, but scary. A skull, an overturned glass, an extinct oil lamp – all these are symbols of the transience of life. A striking difference between this painting and many others made in a similar genre is the limited palette. Claes uses several colors and their shades, which emphasizes the seriousness and gloom of the composition. Every contemplator of the picture understands that life will end one day, knowledge and wine are powerless – nothing will help a person gain eternity …

5. “Vase of Flowers”, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

The painting is kept in the famous Cambridge Museum of Art. Renoir specialized in portraits and genre scenes. Flowers were for him entertainment, relaxation. There is a version that the artist created such paintings for the purpose of earning money, as they sold well.

“Vase with Flowers” written in 1866. The usual garden bouquet, which included the most common plants. The colors are bright. The riot of colors becomes a reminder of the beauty and abundance of nature. The combination of colors is classic, correct. Harmony and peace are the main message of this image.

4. “Apples and Leaves”, Ilya Repin

Canvas “Apples and Leaves” located in the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg). Ilya Efimovich created it in 1879. At first glance, the image may seem too simple and uncomplicated: apples against the background of leaves. That’s just the composition is done so masterfully that there is a feeling of realism. The picture is voluminous and as if filled with air, the smallest details are carefully drawn. She is bright and expressive.

The work was created Repin at the height of his popularity. At that moment in his life, he was doing well both in his career and in his personal life. Such circumstances could not but affect the mood of the artist. It is not surprising that when contemplating the canvas, favorable emotions and feelings arise.

3. Fruit Basket by Michelangelo Caravaggio

“Fruit basket” Created in 1596, stored in the Ambrosian Library (Milan). Some art historians believe Michelangelo founder of the still life genre.

The image is as naturalistic as possible: the basket is on the edge of the table, it is filled with fruit. The fruits have been plucked along with the leaves, and the first signs of wilting are already visible. The lifelessness of the composition emphasizes the tone – a minimum of details.

With this image, Caravaggio wanted to show the passage of time. Lush freshness is replaced by decay and death, inevitability.

2. Bird cherry in a glass, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

One of the most famous paintings by the Soviet artist. Created in 1932. “Bird cherry in a glass” located in the State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg.

A bird cherry branch is surrounded by randomly scattered objects. Things do not have a visible connection with each other, but the image looks harmonious. There is a version that an unpretentious set of objects personifies the severity of the historical period during which the picture was painted. Petrov-Vodkin.

1. Sunflowers in a Yellow Vase, Van Gogh

Van Gogh considered a master of still life. The artist created a whole series of paintings dedicated to sunflowers. The canvas that interests us was created in 1888. Located in the London National Gallery.

In the picture “Sunflowers in a yellow vase” a rough rustic vase is depicted. It is small in size, and there is not enough space for sunflowers, but not only in a vase, in space. Nothing unusual: the natural beauty of the colors and the brightness of the colors. For Van Gogh, yellow was associated with hope and friendship, and the sunflower was for him a symbol of gratitude.

What is this picture about? About a beautiful and tragic life. Flowers, animals, people – all living things come to an end one day. Should I be upset about this? Each person has his own answer to this question, but there is no need to spend precious minutes and hours on worries. Nobody and nothing can stop time.