Still life with fruit and dishes

The artist Willem van Aelst was born in May 1627 in the city of Utrecht or Delft.

Willem van Aelst studied the basics of painting with his uncle, famous artist Evert van Aalst. In November 1643, the young artist was admitted to the Delft Guild of Artists of St. Luke.

For four years, from 1845 to 1649, the artist lived and worked in France, and then for another seven years in Italy. In Florence, Willem van Aalst completed quite a lot of work commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand II de' Medici.

After returning to his homeland, the artist settled in Amsterdam, set up a studio and accepted students, among whom today we can remember Rachel Ruysch and Maria van Oosterwijk.

During his lifetime, Willem van Aalst was recognized as an outstanding master of still life, who had an excellent command of color, and with particular success painted fabrics, bird feathers, metals, etc. Exquisite blue velvet is often found in his still lifes. The artist uses insanely expensive lapis lazuli pigment. This ingredient was imported from distant China and its use significantly increased the cost of the author’s paintings. But how he plays Blue colour in still lifes.

The painter died in 1683. Buried in Amsterdam.

Nowadays, the works of the great artist can be seen in largest museums and art galleries of the world.

Paintings by artist Willem van Aelst

Still life with grapes and pomegranate
Name unknown
Name unknown
Still life with a basket of fruits
Plums and peaches on blue velvet
Name unknown
Still life with fruit Still life with a dead bird and hunting accessories Flowers in a silver vase Still life with hunting equipment and a dead bird Still life with flowers Still life with fruit Bouquet of flowers in a glass vase Snack Still life with a bouquet of flowers in a glass vase and a pocket watch Still life with poultry Still life with fruit and glass goblet Hunting still life Name unknown Name unknown Name unknown Name unknown Name unknown Name unknown Still life with grapes and peaches Name unknown Name unknown Still life with lemon, silver jug ​​and candlestick Still life with grapes, peaches and walnuts Still life with armor Still life with grapes, clock, glass, silver jug ​​and plate Still life with fruit and game Still life with flowers

Back then, a lot of people liked it, and the artists’ works seem to me to be an excellent visual aid in the process of studying color combinations. Actually, why reinvent the wheel if great masters have long studied the principles of harmony, combinations of shades and actively used them when painting. I plan to write a series of posts on the topic and will draw on Itten's book "The Art of Color".

Often the problem with color combinations comes from the fact that we lack observation and the eye is not trained to see successful combinations, certain stereotypes are imposed, and due to ignorance we lack courage and confidence in choosing colors. We will fight this :)

Itten, in his work on color, takes us through the most significant eras in the development of art and work with color and cites great artists as examples. And today we will start with the artists of the Renaissance. Jan van Eyck, Piero della Francesca, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Grunewald.

"Jan van Eyck began to create paintings, the compositional basis of which was determined by the actual colors of the people and objects depicted. Through the fade and purity, lightness and darkness of these colors, the sound of the picture became more and more realistically similar. Color became a means of conveying the naturalness of things."

"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" is made in muted warm tones of dark Autumn

“The Ghent Altarpiece” is painted with warm colors, but the colors are already clearer and purer, closer to spring

"Piero della Francesca He painted people, sharply outlining the figures with distinct expressive colors, while using additional colors that provided the paintings with pictorial balance."

"Portrait of Federigo da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza" is also made in warm colors, in the colors of Autumn

"Altar of Montefeltro": very beautiful combination colors, soft shades, spring-summer range.

The result is a combination of three basic tones and two accent tones:

"Leonardo da Vinci abandoned bright colors. He built his paintings on infinitely subtle tonal transitions."

"Mona Lisa"

"Adoration of the Magi"

"Titian began to strive for picturesque modulations of cold and warm, faded and rich."

"Gorgeous"

“The color characteristics of his later paintings were formed by him based on various dark and light shades of the same color.”

"Coronation with a crown of thorns." This is a cheerful picture both in theme and colors. The best thing is in November :))

But color transitions within the same color are very clearly visible.

"Grunewald contrasted one color with another. From the so-called objectively existing color substance, he knew how to find his own color for each motif of the picture."

"Isenheim Altar"

Within the framework of one work, Grunewald used various color schemes and sacrificed overall harmony for the sake of conveying the meaning of individual parts of the work.

It remains to conclude that if you are Autumn, then you should look at other works by Renaissance artists :)

Renaissance (Renaissance). Italy. XV-XVI centuries. Early capitalism. The country is ruled by rich bankers. They are interested in art and science.

The rich and powerful gather around them the talented and wise. Poets, philosophers, artists and sculptors have daily conversations with their patrons. At some point, it seemed that people were ruled by wise men, as Plato wanted.

We remembered the ancient Romans and Greeks. They also built a society of free citizens, where the main value is people (not counting slaves, of course).

Renaissance is not just copying the art of ancient civilizations. This is a mixture. Mythology and Christianity. Realism of nature and sincerity of images. Beauty physical and spiritual.

It was just a flash. Period High Renaissance– that’s about 30 years! From the 1490s to 1527 From the beginning of the heyday of Leonardo's creativity. Before the sack of Rome.

The mirage of an ideal world quickly faded. Italy turned out to be too fragile. She was soon enslaved by another dictator.

However, these 30 years have determined the main features European painting 500 years ahead! Up to .

Realism of the image. Anthropocentrism (when the center of the world is Man). Linear perspective. Oil paints. Portrait. Scenery…

Incredibly, during these 30 years several brilliant masters worked at once. At other times they are born once every 1000 years.

Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian are the titans of the Renaissance. But we cannot fail to mention their two predecessors: Giotto and Masaccio. Without which there would be no Renaissance.

1. Giotto (1267-1337)

Paolo Uccello. Giotto da Bondogni. Fragment of the painting “Five Masters of the Florentine Renaissance.” Beginning of the 16th century. .

XIV century. Proto-Renaissance. Its main character is Giotto. This is a master who single-handedly revolutionized art. 200 years before the High Renaissance. If it were not for him, the era of which humanity is so proud would hardly have come.

Before Giotto there were icons and frescoes. They were created according to Byzantine canons. Faces instead of faces. Flat figures. Failure to comply with proportions. Instead of a landscape there is a golden background. Like, for example, on this icon.

Guido da Siena. Adoration of the Magi. 1275-1280 Altenburg, Lindenau Museum, Germany.

And suddenly frescoes by Giotto appear. On them volumetric figures. Faces of noble people. Old and young. Sad. Mournful. Surprised. Different.

Frescoes by Giotto in the Church of Scrovegni in Padua (1302-1305). Left: Lamentation of Christ. Middle: Kiss of Judas (fragment). Right: Annunciation of St. Anne (Mother Mary), fragment.

Giotto's main work is the cycle of his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. When this church opened to parishioners, crowds of people poured into it. They had never seen anything like this.

After all, Giotto did something unprecedented. He translated biblical stories to a simple one, clear language. And they have become much more accessible to ordinary people.

Giotto. Adoration of the Magi. 1303-1305 Fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy.

This is precisely what will be characteristic of many masters of the Renaissance. Laconic images. Lively emotions of the characters. Realism.

Read more about the master's frescoes in the article.

Giotto was admired. But his innovation was not developed further. The fashion for international gothic came to Italy.

Only after 100 years will a worthy successor to Giotto appear.

2. Masaccio (1401-1428)

Masaccio. Self-portrait (fragment of the fresco “St. Peter on the pulpit”). 1425-1427 Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.

Beginning of the 15th century. The so-called Early Renaissance. Another innovator is entering the scene.

Masaccio was the first artist to use linear perspective. It was designed by his friend, the architect Brunelleschi. Now the depicted world has become similar to the real one. Toy architecture is a thing of the past.

Masaccio. Saint Peter heals with his shadow. 1425-1427 Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.

He adopted Giotto's realism. However, unlike his predecessor, he already knew anatomy well.

Instead of blocky characters, Giotto has beautifully built people. Just like the ancient Greeks.

Masaccio. Baptism of neophytes. 1426-1427 Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, Italy.
Masaccio. Expulsion from Paradise. 1426-1427 Fresco in the Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.

Masaccio lived a short life. He died, like his father, unexpectedly. At 27 years old.

However, he had many followers. Masters of subsequent generations went to the Brancacci Chapel to study from his frescoes.

Thus, Masaccio’s innovation was taken up by all the great artists of the High Renaissance.

3. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci. Self-portrait. 1512 Royal Library in Turin, Italy.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the titans of the Renaissance. He had a tremendous influence on the development of painting.

It was da Vinci who raised the status of the artist himself. Thanks to him, representatives of this profession are no longer just artisans. These are creators and aristocrats of the spirit.

Leonardo made a breakthrough primarily in portrait painting.

He believed that nothing should distract from the main image. The gaze should not wander from one detail to another. This is how his famous portraits appeared. Laconic. Harmonious.

Leonardo da Vinci. Lady with an ermine. 1489-1490 Czertoryski Museum, Krakow.

Leonardo's main innovation is that he found a way to make images... alive.

Before him, characters in portraits looked like mannequins. The lines were clear. All details are carefully drawn. The painted drawing could not possibly be alive.

Leonardo invented the sfumato method. He shaded the lines. Made the transition from light to shadow very soft. His characters seem to be covered with a barely perceptible haze. The characters came to life.

. 1503-1519 Louvre, Paris.

Sfumato will be included in the active vocabulary of all great artists of the future.

There is often an opinion that Leonardo, of course, is a genius, but did not know how to complete anything. And I often didn’t finish paintings. And many of his projects remained on paper (in 24 volumes, by the way). And in general he was thrown either into medicine or into music. At one time I was even interested in the art of serving.

However, think for yourself. 19 paintings - and he is the greatest artist of all time. And someone doesn’t even come close in terms of greatness, yet he painted 6,000 canvases in his life. It is obvious who has the higher efficiency.

Read about the master's most famous painting in the article.

4. Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Daniele da Volterra. Michelangelo (fragment). 1544 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor. But he was a universal master. Like his other Renaissance colleagues. Therefore, his pictorial heritage is no less grandiose.

He is recognizable primarily by his physically developed characters. He portrayed a perfect man in whom physical beauty means spiritual beauty.

That’s why all his heroes are so muscular and resilient. Even women and old people.

Michelangelo. Fragments of the fresco “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican.

Michelangelo often painted the character naked. And then he added clothes on top. So that the body is as sculpted as possible.

He painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel alone. Although these are several hundred figures! He didn’t even allow anyone to rub paint. Yes, he was unsociable. He had a tough and quarrelsome character. But most of all he was dissatisfied with... himself.

Michelangelo. Fragment of the fresco “The Creation of Adam”. 1511 The Sistine Chapel, Vatican.

Michelangelo lived a long life. Survived the decline of the Renaissance. For him it was a personal tragedy. His later works are full of sadness and sorrow.

In general, Michelangelo’s creative path is unique. His early works are a celebration of the human hero. Free and courageous. In the best traditions Ancient Greece. What's his name David?

IN last years life is tragic images. Intentionally rough-hewn stone. It’s as if we are looking at monuments to the victims of 20th century fascism. Look at his Pietà.

Michelangelo's sculptures at the Academy fine arts in Florence. Left: David. 1504 Right: Palestrina's Pietà. 1555

How is this possible? One artist in one life went through all stages of art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. What should subsequent generations do? Go your own way. Realizing that the bar is set very high.

5. Raphael (1483-1520)

. 1506 Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

Raphael was never forgotten. His genius was always recognized: both during life and after death.

His characters are endowed with sensual, lyrical beauty. It is his who is rightfully considered the most beautiful female images ever created. External beauty reflects and spiritual beauty heroines. Their meekness. Their sacrifice.

Raphael. . 1513 Old Masters Gallery, Dresden, Germany.

Fyodor Dostoevsky said the famous words “Beauty will save the world” about. This was his favorite painting.

However, sensory images are not the only strong point Raphael. He thought through the compositions of his paintings very carefully. He was an unsurpassed architect in painting. Moreover, he always found the simplest and most harmonious solution in organizing space. It seems that it cannot be any other way.

Raphael. Athens School. 1509-1511 Fresco in the Stanzas of the Apostolic Palace, Vatican.

Raphael lived only 37 years. He died suddenly. From a caught cold and medical error. But his legacy is difficult to overestimate. Many artists idolized this master. And they multiplied his sensual images in thousands of their canvases..

Titian was an unsurpassed colorist. He also experimented a lot with composition. In general, he was a daring innovator.

Everyone loved him for such brilliance of his talent. Called “the king of painters and the painter of kings.”

Speaking about Titian, I want to put an exclamation point after every sentence. After all, it was he who brought dynamics to painting. Pathos. Enthusiasm. Bright color. Shine of colors.

Titian. Ascension of Mary. 1515-1518 Church of Santa Maria Gloriosi dei Frari, Venice.

By the end of his life he had developed unusual technique letters. The strokes are fast and thick. I applied the paint either with a brush or with my fingers. This makes the images even more alive and breathing. And the plots are even more dynamic and dramatic.

Titian. Tarquin and Lucretia. 1571 Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England.

Does this remind you of anything? Of course, this is technology. And technology artists of the XIX centuries: Barbizonians and. Titian, like Michelangelo, would go through 500 years of painting in one lifetime. That's why he's a genius.

Read about the master's famous masterpiece in the article.

Renaissance artists are the owners of great knowledge. To leave such a legacy, there was a lot to learn. In the field of history, astrology, physics and so on.

Therefore, every image of them makes us think. Why is this depicted? What is the encrypted message here?

They were almost never wrong. Because they thoroughly thought through their future work. We used all our knowledge.

They were more than artists. They were philosophers. They explained the world to us through painting.

That is why they will always be deeply interesting to us.

What a strange painting this is - a still life: it makes you admire the copy
those things whose originals you don’t admire.

“Art either broke up into separate genres, then merged them together, forming some kind of all-encompassing fusion, and in different periods of history, now portraits, now landscapes, now historical picture, then the picture is everyday. But if a great pictorial experiment was carried out, if we were talking about analyzing the world, about decomposing it into components - and about the synthesis of these components, then even before final conclusions were made, the established new system was beginning its triumphal march around the world, and was undergoing a “still life test.” “Dead nature” showed the ability to invade “living” - and not only display it, but also explain it. However, the flowering of still life, the massive interest in it on the part of artists, and most importantly - the ability of this genre to summarize everything that art requires at a given moment, making the rest as if unnecessary, occurred only when the secret of something else was revealed behind the game of “trickery.” kind, the guardians of which were things. Contrary to the literal translation of its name, still life turned out to be the most viable of the genres in this case."

What is nature morte? fr. nature morte, literally - “dead nature”, with nature “nature, nature; naturalness; essence, property” and morte “death”; Dutch stilleven, German Stilleben, English still life, literally - quiet or motionless life, with still “motionless, calm; quiet” (still as the grave “silent as a grave”) and life “life, existence” (this life, natural life rel. “earthly existence”) ; in painting "nature" (a picture taken from life "picture from nature").

(mainly easel painting), which is devoted to the depiction of things placed in a single environment and organized in a group.

Special organization of motive(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 their natural connections and thereby turned into a thing - fish on the table, flowers in a bouquet, etc.

The image of living, moving creatures - insects, birds, animals, even people - can sometimes be included in a still life, but only complementing its main motive.

Compared to other genres, in still life the significance of small objects isolated from the context of everyday life increases.

Genre specifics determines the artist’s (and viewer’s) increased attention to the structure and details of volumes, surface texture and image problems.

Goals Still life as a genre is not limited to the expression of symbolism, to the solution of decorative problems, or to the scientifically accurate recording of the objective world, although these tasks largely contributed to the formation of still life, and its images are often distinguished by the richness of associations, bright decorativeness and illusory accuracy of the transfer of nature.

The depiction of things in a still life has independent artistic significance; an artist can create a capacious, multi-layered image in a still life that has complex semantic implications.

In the historical development of still life, in its changing different eras The content specifically reflects the social conditioning of art as a whole.

In fine arts still life (from the French natur morte - “dead nature”) is usually called an image inanimate objects, united into a single compositional group.

A still life can have both independent meaning and be an integral part of the composition of a genre painting.

A still life expresses a person’s attitude towards the world around him. It reveals the understanding of beauty that is inherent in the artist as a man of his time.

The art of things has long been, long before it became an independent field of artistic creativity, integral part any significant work.

The role of still life in a painting has never been limited to simple information, a random addition to the main content.

Depending on historical conditions and social demands, objects more or less participated in the creation of the image, highlighting one or another aspect of the design. Before still life developed into an independent genre, things surrounding a person in everyday life, only to one degree or another were included as an attribute in the paintings of antiquity. Sometimes such a detail acquired unexpectedly deep significance and acquired its own meaning.

History of still life as a genre.

Still life motifs as details of compositions, decorative and symbolic images of things are found already in ancient oriental, ancient and medieval art. Elements of still life, in which one can see compositional and thematic prototypes of its developed types, are included in ancient Roman frescoes and mosaics starting from the 1st century. In relation to classical oriental, in particular Chinese and Japanese, art, it is difficult to talk about still life itself: the form of artistic vision and the system of genres here were significantly different from European ones. Partly comparable to the genre of still life are works of the so-called “flowers and birds” genre, as well as individual images of fruits (Tsui Bo, 2nd half of the 11th century, Mu-qi, 13th century - in China; Ogata Korin, 2nd half 17th - early 18th centuries in Japan).

The birth of still life as an independent genre is associated with the general development European art modern times, the identification of easel painting and the formation of an extensive system of genres. Already in the works of Italian and especially Dutch masters of the Renaissance, there is an unprecedented attention to the material world, an attachment to the concrete sensual beauty of things, the images of which at the same time sometimes retain the symbolic meaning often inherent in the depiction of objects in medieval art. The history of still life as a genre of easel painting, and in particular its type of "trompel" oeil ("faux pas"), opens with "Still Life" by the Italian artist Jacopo de Barbari (1504), in which the main attention is paid to the illusionistic-accurate rendering of objects. However, the spread of the genre still life dates back to the 2nd half of the 16th - early 17th 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.In the paintings of the Dutchman Peter Aertsen and his followers, sometimes still religious in plot, a large place is devoted to the depiction of kitchens and shops with a pile of food and utensils. The botanical accuracy of the reproduction of various flowers, the beauty and variety of their shapes and colors occupy the Flemish J. Bruegel the Velvet no less than their symbolism. 17th century - the heyday still life The variety of its types and forms at this time is associated with the development of national schools of painting. The formation of Italian still life is largely determined by the reforms of Caravaggio, which led artists to turn to simple, “low” motifs and determined the stylistic features of the painting of Italian still life painters. Favorite themes of the masters of Italian N. (P. P. Bonzi, M. Campidoglio, G. Recco, G. B. Ruoppolo, E. Baskenis, etc.) - flowers, vegetables and fruits, seafood, kitchen utensils, musical instruments and books. In general, Italian still life is characterized by a rhythmic variety of compositions, richness and brightness of color, and plastic expressiveness in conveying the objective world. The traditions of Caravaggism are also palpable in Spanish still life with its love for the refined plasticity of form, revealed by the contrasts of chiaroscuro. Images of things (often ordinary) in a Spanish still life. are distinguished by sublime severity and special significance, as if detachment from everyday life (J. 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 attention to the picturesque development of the light environment, to the variety of textures various 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 the abundance of masters who worked in this genre and the variety of types: in addition to “breakfasts” and “desserts”, “fish” (A. Beyeren), “flowers and fruits” (J. D. de Heem), “killed game” ( J. Wenicke, M. Hondekoeter), allegorical still life "vanitas" ("vanity of vanities"), etc. The Dutch version of the term "Still life" - "stilleven" (the original meaning was "motionless model") - arose only at the end of the 17th century. , combining all these varieties. Flemish still life (mainly “markets”, “shops”, “flowers and fruits”) is distinguished by the scope of its compositions: they are multi-component, majestic and dynamic; these are hymns to fertility and abundance (F. Snyders, J. Veit). In the 17th century German (G. Flegel, K. Paudis) and French (L. Vozhen) still life also developed. From the end of the 17th century. decorative tendencies of court art triumphed in French still life. Next to the still life of flowers (J.B. Monnoyer and his school), the hunting N. (A.F. Deporte and J.B. Oudry), examples of everyday still life only occasionally appear. But in the 18th century. In France, one of the most significant masters of still life works - J. B. S. Chardin, whose works stand out for their special depth of content, freedom of composition and richness of color solutions. His images of the world of everyday things are democratic in essence, intimate and humane, as if warmed by the poetry of the hearth. In the middle of the 18th century. The term “nature morte” arose, which reflected the disdainful attitude towards still life on the part of academic circles, which gave preference to genres whose area was “living nature” (historical genre, portrait, etc.). But advanced art destroyed the academic hierarchy of genres, which hampered the development of still life. The compositional clichés of still life were eliminated, and the patterns of this painting form were re-evaluated. In the 19th century the fate of still life is determined by leading masters of painting, working in many genres and involving still life in the struggle between aesthetic and artistic ideas(F. Goya in Spain, E. Delacroix, G. Courbet, E. Manet and the Impressionists in France, who occasionally turned to still life). At the same time, the 19th century. For a long time I did not highlight major masters specializing in this genre in still life. Against the background of a routine salon still life of the 2nd half of the 19th century. In general, the traditional works of the Frenchman A. Fantin-Latour and the American W. Harnett stand out, who uniquely revived the "trompel" oeil type. The rise of still life is associated with the performance of the masters of post-impressionism, for whom the world of things became one of the main themes. At the end of the 19th century . the expressive possibilities of still life up to the acutely dramatic expression of the artist's social and moral position are embodied in the work of the Dutchman W. van Gogh. The plastic perfection of painting, faithful to both nature and the high ideals of the picture, is revived in still life by the Frenchman P. Cezanne. This genre becomes fundamental to his a creative concept that had a great influence on the development of still life (as well as painting in general) in the art of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 20th century, still life has been a kind of creative laboratory of painting. In France, the masters of Fauvism (A. Matisse and others) follow the path of aggravated identifying the emotional and decorative-expressive capabilities of color and texture, and representatives of cubism (J. Braque, P. Picasso, H. Gris, etc.), using the analytical capabilities inherent in the specifics of still life, strive to establish new ways of conveying space and form. The problems (or motives) of still life also attract masters of later movements - from artists who, to varying degrees, combine an orientation towards classical heritage from new discoveries in painting (Picasso in France, A. Kanoldt in Germany, G. Morandi in Italy), to representatives of surrealism and “pop art”, whose works generally go beyond the framework of the historically established genre of N. Realistic traditions of N. ( often with an emphasized social tendency) in the 20th century. 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 is episodic. There was a slight rise in it in the 1st 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 2nd half of the 19th century. I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, V. I. Surikov, V. D. Polenov, I. I. Levitan only occasionally turn to still life of a sketch nature; This position of still life in the artistic system of the Wanderers followed from their idea of ​​the dominant role of the plot-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. To his the best examples include: impressionistic in their origins, but differently enriched with new artistic trends, the works of K. A. Korovin, I. E. Grabar, M. F. Larionov; subtly playing off the historical and everyday nature of things, the works of the artists of the “World of Art” (A. Ya. Golovin and others): romanticized, elevated and 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, plastic N. 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) with their cult of the unity of color and form and the pathos of the very process of interpreting nature[...] 2.

In the 17th-18th centuries. V northern Europe still life occupied an important place. The space of the house was organized around it, they “solved” it, “played” with it. Still life took an active part in the very thick of the refined everyday culture of Baroque, Rococo, and classicism. And only with the passing of the “gallant age” the role of still life in everyday life becomes more and more ornamental and decorative.

In relation to painting, numerous books of emblems played a kind of role as a dictionary, from which symbols were abundantly drawn. Thus, after emblematic art, there arises the art of depicting simple, everyday things endowed with a different, sublime meaning. The art of still life emerges. The most extreme realism here is naturally combined with the most extreme allegory, allegory. And the more realistically objects are depicted, the more interesting their semantic mystery is for the viewer. Sometimes you can hear opinions about any “dirty” that the Dutch still life masters of the 17th-18th centuries “dragged” into their paintings. But that’s not “trash” at all. The symbolic vision of everyday objects, not at all randomly collected together, makes us talk about high culture understanding life in the Netherlands, torn apart by religious and ideological disputes.

In the 17th century there were many still life painters in the Netherlands. But, if at the very beginning of the century the paintings of the Dutch and Flemish masters had more common features, then by the end of the century their originality began to emerge. The works of Dutch artists are more restrained, balanced in color, and they show close attention to detail, to each individual thing. Flemish works are more dynamic, bright, and the objects in them form a complex composition. And this is not “dead nature” at all, but a seething life.

Various centers of still life painting also emerged in the Netherlands. In business, bourgeois Haarlem, “breakfasts” were born, in aristocratic Utrecht, which has long been famous for growing flowers, - flower bouquets, in the port of The Hague - abundant fish compositions, in Leiden (a university town) - “scientific” still lifes (the so-called “Vanitas”, dedicated to frailty of life).

On these strange pictures objects removed from the real surrounding space formed their own unusual and strongly symbolized world. And in that world there are no random objects. Back in the second half of the 16th century in Prague, at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, who passionately loved art, a society called the “Rudolfin circle” arose. It included scientists and astrologers, alchemists, artists and poets. The highest goal here was considered to be knowledge of the Universe, its basic laws, and the eternal connections between the world and man. Very soon this society becomes the center of a new artistic movement - “Mannerism”. For the “Rudolfinians” there are no “insignificant” objects or phenomena. The movement of the planets, the flight of a bird, the movement of bacteria under a microscope (only open at that time), and the growth of simple field grass are important. And it is the artist who must merge all this in a single harmony on his canvas.

But since the object itself, its form, and features contain its meaning, then it is necessary to convey the object on the canvas with great care. This is how “trickery” naturally enters painting - a truthful image of an object to the point of illusion (usually an insect or drops of water), which by the end of the 18th century had degenerated into simple trickery.

At the same time, even the exact image of the object was not at all clearly legible. On the contrary, things, deliberately disconnected from their usual surroundings, showed a completely different, and often opposite, meaning. For example, still lifes with precious utensils and exquisite dishes, which contemporaries classified as “luxurious”, were more often “read” by them as a call to renounce excesses.

If we compare the symbolic art of still life, filled with whimsical meanings, with literature, then of all the literary genres, lyrical poetry is perhaps most suitable. It is not without reason that poetry is already associated with emblematics. And it is not without reason that, in parallel with the flourishing of still life, it is precisely lyric poetry(this is especially obvious when comparing still life with the so-called “poetry for the occasion,” where small details of everyday life were described in detail). And just as it is impossible to completely rationally describe a lyric poem, there is not a single more or less detailed description of the symbolism of a specific still life. The viewer is invited to play - based on the real properties of the object, guess its symbolic meaning in the composition compiled by the artist.

Sometimes, however, the artist helped the viewer. Thus, in Artsen’s painting “The Butcher Shop” (1551), the foreground shows a table laden with various types of meat, fish, and sausages. In the background, in the very depths, there is a scene of flight to Egypt - flight from all this wealth, which brings inevitable death.

Often the artist directly included text in the painting. This was certainly done in the learned Leiden still lifes “Vanitas” (Latin: “emptiness, futility, uselessness, falsity, meaninglessness”). Quotations from the Bible or from ancient authors on the theme of “vanity of vanities” have become common here: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field” (from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah), “The days of man are like grass, like the flower of the field.” , so it blooms” (from the Psalter), “He who has passed by the rose, seek it no more” (from Horace). The text was placed either in a beautiful cartouche, or was carefully written out on a worn sheet of paper (antiquity became synonymous with authenticity), or placed on the open page of an ancient volume, or made up the title of a book that had been thrown by chance.

And each object in the picture then corresponds to the text: a rose, wild flowers, insects - a traditional symbol of the short human existence, and butterflies and dragonflies are a symbol of the salvation of the soul. Gradually, especially significant objects were selected for such still lifes. Hourglass they reminded of the transience of life, bouquets of flowers - of fading and transience, smoking lamps, pipes - of short duration, and royal regalia - of all the riches that you cannot take with you to another life. Particularly prominent was the human skull - a vivid symbol of frailty, empty (or half-drunk) glass glasses, signifying the fragility of human existence, and the stub of a candle - a symbol of extinguished life.

Often in the still lifes of “Vanitas” there are “random” scatterings of old books (of a bygone era), measuring instruments (no longer needed), flutes and violins (“their sound is so beautiful and fleeting”). In French still lifes, characters appear who let bubble - human life is likened to the thinnest and most unfaithful bubbles. And in England, after 1649, portraits of the executed Charles I Stuart appeared in many “Vanitas” - the death of this king only confirmed the idea of ​​the frailty of earthly happiness and the precariousness of earthly power.

Very often, flowers and herbs serve as a symbol of mortality. Especially if the flowers and herbs are wild. Placed against the backdrop of an empty window opening, they further emphasize the hopelessness. Sometimes flower leaves are eaten away by insects, and empty shells or nuts are scattered nearby.

Actually, flower still lifes were divided into “garlands” and “bouquets”. “Garlands” are especially difficult to understand. In the genre of “garlands” they wrote famous masters- J. Bruegel Velvet, D. Segers, J.D. de Hem. The monk of the Jesuit Order, Father D. Seghers, gained particular fame in this field. As a sign of admiration for his skill, crowned European heads presented him with expensive gifts - a gold cross with allegorical figures made of enamel, gold bones and a gold palette, etc. Poets dedicated poems to the flowers he painted.

The garland wrapped around the central image (and it could be very different, most often it was a portrait made by other masters) resembled the famous symbol of Eternity - a snake entwined around a winged clock. That is why such compositions had glorifying significance. White lilies and ears of bread were woven into the garland itself, traditionally associated with Christ or Mary and speaking of the purity of the one being glorified. In addition, many things here symbolized the seasons: flowers - spring, ears of corn and fruits - summer, grapes and vegetables - autumn, lemons - winter (“everything changes, only good memory remains unchanged”).

The language of flowers, borrowed by the Renaissance from medieval symbolism, was understandable to almost any educated aristocrat in the 17th century. And therefore the garlands were easily “read” by the audience. Snowdrops, oranges, roses, and irises were dedicated to the Mother of God; her appeal to Christ was symbolized by tulips; a branch of thistle - the passion of Christ; the triumph of heavenly love was often expressed by the narcissist.

Garlands are not only wrapped around portraits. Often these are a clock, a Eucharistic cup, glasses of wine and even a cartouche with text. Sometimes a small wreath is placed directly in the goblet. This composition goes back to one of the famous emblems: a goblet with a wide bowl filled with wine, in which a flower wreath floats. The inscription read: “Why don’t you think about the fate of mortals?” Thus, the solemn garland in its meaning connected with “Vanitas”.

Still lifes in the form of bouquets (in a vase, jug or simply on a table) were usually composed of three types. And the main emphasis in the picture fell on various objects. In a radial composition (flower stems fanning out from one point), the main image is the flower placed at the point where the stems converge. Compositions of the second type, like a carpet, fill the entire space of the canvas. Then a vertical hierarchy of colors and their meanings is built. The third variety is compositionally built into the figure of a triangle. Here are the most meaningful flower serves as the central axis, and the remaining flowers are symmetrically grouped around it. However, strict symmetry is soon broken and the one developed by Ya.D. becomes a favorite. de Hem S-shaped bouquet with graceful curls, anticipating the Rococo style.

There is even a unique iconographic scheme with a clear division into spatial zones. Below, near the vase, there are usually signs of frailty - broken or withered flowers, crumbling petals, empty shells, caterpillars, flies; in the center - symbols of modesty and purity (average moderation), surrounded by lush short-lived flowers (lilies of the valley, violets, forget-me-nots, cyclamen surrounded by roses, carnations, anemones, etc.); The composition is crowned with a large flower, which often has a positive meaning, a sort of crown of virtue (and even surrounded by butterflies and dragonflies). The vase itself was likened to a fragile vessel, but it could also have an interpretation of the body as a “vessel of abomination and sin.”

Numerous glass, crystal, and clay vessels, with and without flowers, were perceived as something fragile, unfaithful, ready to break. Expensive vessels only emphasized this feeling, carrying an additional meaning of the futility of wealth. The contents of the vessels were interpreted differently. Water is the theme of baptism, purification, wine is the theme of communion. However, wine, especially unfinished wine, could symbolize both a life not fully lived and the remnant of useless luxury.

Almost always, floral still lifes were complemented by objects scattered on the table. Most often, these are empty shells - a sign of empty carnal pleasures. The fruit of a lemon, which is beautiful on the outside but sour on the inside. The egg is a traditional sign of the Resurrection. The bursting fruit of a pomegranate is a symbol of fertility, Christ and his atoning sacrifice. Strawberries are a sign of worldly pleasure and temptation. And all this together (flowers, vessels, objects) served a single idea.

In the middle of the 17th century, still lifes with images of reptiles and amphibians became especially widespread. Their presence in the still life refutes its meaning as “dead nature”. Rather, its Dutch name fits here - “stilleven” (“quiet, motionless life”).

Most often they were made up of Italian painters. But the Dutch also have lizards and snakes crawling in the coarse grass. This is not at all the painter’s predilection for reptiles. It’s just that the snake has long been a symbol of deceit and evil, and grass - the fragile human existence. Often, attractive berries were placed in the grass - “pleasure is fraught with evil.” Mice, frogs, and hedgehogs were also considered devilish animals and were often depicted instead of snakes. A favorite animalistic theme was the image of a snake grabbing a butterfly. Thus evil consumes all hope of salvation.

The majority of the representatives of the still life fauna are insects. What is important here is traditional performance about the three stages of existence (earthly existence, death, posthumous life of the soul). The most striking embodiment of these ideas in still lifes was the image of a caterpillar, pupa and butterfly. Thus, the image of a butterfly ready to flutter from its shell was clearly “read” as “a soul leaving a mortal body.” The same antinomy of life and death was depicted by a butterfly next to a caterpillar or snail. A fly or spider was considered a symbol of evil, death, sin, and stinginess. Therefore, a fly sitting on an apple or peach is traditionally associated with the theme of the Fall.

Of the larger animals, the squirrel, for example, symbolized hard work, without which earthly blessings are impossible. But sometimes, she could also represent frivolity. The hare is a “commemoration of hearing, sensitivity, abundance, timidity, timidity, fear.” Crayfish or lobsters are the vicissitudes of the world, but also wisdom, prudence, and slowness. An image of a parrot is often found. Contrary to popular belief, in the Middle Ages this bird was likened to the righteous and symbolized eloquence, gratitude, or represented a believer. The monkey was perceived as an animal that mimicked human actions and symbolized various vices, the sinner, and even the devil himself. She, tied or chained, is an addiction to vices and worldly affairs. If the monkey looked in the mirror, it was perceived as an image of vanity.

Often a cat enters the still life world. Behind positive traits This animal - agility and desire for freedom - was often dedicated to the Mother of God (especially with a stripe in the form of a cross on the back). But usually this animal was associated with dark forces and magic. Already in the Middle Ages, the cat symbolized the devil, and the mouse symbolized the soul, constantly exposed to danger. In modern times, a cat, especially one that had picked up a large piece of meat with its claws, was a constant reminder of carnal pleasures. That is why images of cats, distraught at the sight of a table littered with fish and game, are so typical (especially for Snyders and his school). A dog, on the contrary, is like the opposite of a cat - a faithful guardian who tries to drive away the thieving animal from the plentiful table.

Numerous gold and silver objects (vases, cups, decorative items), as well as symbols of power (royal crowns, sceptres), undoubtedly belong to the circle of death in still lifes. The artist's sincere admiration for exquisite rarities is perfectly combined with moralizing. Sometimes, especially in later still lifes, small sculptures also come into the painter’s field of vision. This is undoubtedly a field of mythological characters. The satyr bent under the weight of the clock is time, conquering the devilish, carnal principle in man; Mercury taking off his shoes - calmness from vain earthly worries, etc. 3.

As a specific type or genre of painting, still life knows its rise and fall in the history of art.

The harsh, intensely ascetic art of Byzantium, creating immortal, monumentally generalized, sublimely heroic images, used images of individual objects with extraordinary expressiveness.

IN Old Russian icon painting also a big role was played by the few objects that the artist introduced into his strictly canonical works. They brought spontaneity, vitality, and sometimes seemed like an open expression of feeling in a work dedicated to an abstract mythological plot.

Still life played an even greater role in the paintings of artists of the 15th - 16th centuries during the Renaissance. The painter, who for the first time paid close attention to the world around him, sought to indicate the place and determine the value of each thing that serves man. Household items acquired the nobility and proud significance of their owner, the one whom they served. On large canvases, the still life usually occupied a very modest place: a glass vessel with water, an elegant silver vase or delicate white lilies on thin stems often huddled in the corner of the picture. However, in the depiction of these things there was so much poetic love for nature, their meaning was so highly spiritualized that here you can already see all the features that later determined the independent development of the whole genre.

Objects and material elements received a new meaning in paintings in the 17th century - in the era of the developed still life genre. In complex compositions with a literary plot, they took their place along with other heroes of the work. Analyzing the works of this time, one can see what an important role still life began to play in the painting. Things began to appear in these works as the main characters, showing what an artist can achieve by devoting his skill to this type of art.

Objects made by skillful, hardworking, wise hands bear the imprint of a person’s thoughts, desires, and inclinations. They serve him, delight him, and inspire him with a legitimate sense of pride. It is not for nothing that we learn about eras that have long disappeared from the face of the earth from those shards of dishes, household utensils and ritual objects that become scattered pages of human history for archaeologists.

Peering into the world, penetrating its laws with an inquisitive mind, unraveling the fascinating mysteries of life, the artist reflects it more fully and comprehensively in his art. He not only depicts the world around him, but also conveys his understanding, his attitude to reality.

The history of the formation and development of various genres of painting is living evidence of the tireless work of human consciousness, striving to embrace the endless variety of activities and to comprehend them aesthetically.

Still life is a relatively young genre. It gained independent significance in Europe only in the 17th century. The history of the development of still life is interesting and instructive.

Still life flourished especially fully and brightly in Flanders and the Netherlands. Its emergence is connected with those revolutionary historical events, as a result of which these countries, having gained independence, entered the path of bourgeois development at the beginning of the 17th century. For Europe at that time, this was an important and progressive phenomenon. New horizons opened up for art. Historical conditions, new public relations directed and determined creative requests, changes in solving the problems facing the painter. Without directly depicting historical events, the artists took a new look at the world and found new values ​​in man. Life, everyday life, appeared before them with a hitherto unknown significance and completeness. They were attracted by the peculiarities of national life, native nature, things that bear the imprint of the works and days of ordinary people. It was from here, from a conscious, in-depth interest in the life of the people, prompted by the very system, that separate and independent genres were born household painting, landscape, still life also appeared.

The art of still life, which developed in the 17th century, determined the main qualities of this genre. Painting, dedicated to peace things, talked about the basic properties inherent in objects surrounding a person, revealed the attitude of the artist and contemporary to what is depicted, expressed the nature and completeness of knowledge of reality. The painter conveyed the material existence of things, their volume, weight, texture, color, functional value of household items, their living connection with human activity.

The beauty and perfection of household utensils were determined not only by their necessity, but also by the skill of their creator. The still life of the revolutionary era of the victorious bourgeoisie reflected the artist’s respect for the new forms of national life of his compatriots and respect for work.

Formulated in the 17th century, the tasks of the genre existed in general terms in the European school until the middle of the 19th century. However, this does not mean that artists did not set themselves new tasks, mechanically repeating ready-made solutions.

Over the course of epochs, not only the methods and methods of painting a still life have changed, but artistic experience has accumulated, and in the process of formation a more complex and constantly enriching view of the world has developed. Not one object as such, but its various properties became the object of reincarnation, and through the disclosure of the newly understood qualities of things, one’s own, modern attitude to reality, a revaluation of values, a measure of understanding of reality was expressed.

Renaissance still life

At the end of the Renaissance in northern Europe, still life turned from a decorative genre into philosophical statement in colors

The 16th–18th centuries were a golden time in the history of European still life. In those years there were two main art schools , who specialized in depicting flowers, fruits and objects - Flemish and Dutch, - which masters from other countries were guided by. Despite the fact that Flanders (Belgium) and Holland were neighboring states, their painters put different meanings into depicting “dead nature” (as still life was called in Flanders), or “ quiet life"(that's what they called it in the Netherlands).

the main objective Dutch masters- express the idea of ​​“vanity of vanities”, the frailty of all things, the nearness of death. These topics most worried Protestant theologians. That’s why in still lifes of Dutch artists we often see a skull, an extinguished candle, and a stopped clock. All this is framed by poppies - symbols of eternal sleep, daffodils - symbols of the transience of life, violets - symbols of the fragility of beauty, etc.

In Flanders everything was the other way around. Unlike the Protestant Netherlands, Belgium was experiencing a Catholic revival, and the task worthy of an artist was not the denial, but the affirmation and glorification of Divine creation. As the German mystic Paracelsus said: “In words, plants and stones, God is everywhere.” Therefore, the Flemish still life is a celebration of life, a triumph of perfect nature. Frans Snyders, a colleague and comrade of Rubens, is considered a virtuoso of this genre. In 1618–1621 he painted four canvases under common name“Shops”: “Fish Shop”, “Game Shop” (killed poultry), “Vegetable Shop” and “Fruit Shop”, which are now stored in the Hermitage. According to Olga Prokhorova, an employee of the museum, candidate of art history, this is an encyclopedia of Flemish still life with its main allegorical themes - “Seasons”, “Five Senses” (taste, hearing, smell, touch, vision) and “Four Elements” (air, water, fire , Earth). The “Fruit Shop” is the richest in symbols. "Around the World" deciphers them.

Photo still life

Still life, genre of fine art

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 depiction of 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 (fresco from Pompeii). 63-79, Naples. National Gallery of Capodimonte

Theater masks. II century Mosaic of Hadrian's Villa at TIVOLI. Kept in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Still life motifs as details of compositions are found already in the art of the Ancient East and antiquity; some phenomena in medieval art are partly comparable to still life Far East(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, to its concrete, sensual image develops. The history of still life as a genre of easel painting painting, and in particular its type of "trompe l"oeil" (the so-called trompe l'oeil), opens with an illusionistically accurately recreating objects "Still Life" by the Italian Jacopo de Barbari (1504). The spread of the still life genre occurs in the second half of the 16th century - beginning of 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 Flemish 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 (see 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 rigor 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 distinguished by the 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), V XVII century German (G. Flegel, K. Paudis) and French (L. Bozhen) still life also developed. WITH late XVII V. 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 painting laboratory. In France, the masters of Fauvism (A. Matisse and others) follow the path of heightened identification of the emotional and decorative-expressive possibilities of color and texture, and representatives G. Morandi in Italy, S. Lucian in Romania, B. Kubista and E. Filla in 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. to a still life sketch, V.D. painting. 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 others, 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. B. Elkonik, V. F. Stozharov, A. Yu. Nikich are actively working in still life. 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.