Senior Art History
STILL LIFE
art in which the subject is object(s)
trompe l’oeil
A french term that means “trick the eye”, it
refers to art that creates the illusion of reality.
“trompe l’oeil”
unknown, Pompeii 200 BC (mural)
One of the earliest documented still lifes,
this is one of the examples of murals that
were on the walls of some of the more
wealthy inhabitants of Pompeii. In this
case it was used to brighten up an interior
wall of a dark windowless room. It is an
example of trompe l’oeil, it tricks the eye
by creating the illusion of reality, using
perspective or depth with overlapping,
highlights/shadows, and rudimentary linear
perspective.
Pronkstilleven
The Dutch term refers to still lifes that contain
numerous ostentatious and luxury items.
“Still Life with Drinking Horn”
Kalf, Netherlands, 1653 (oil painting)
The Dutch were masters at painting still
lifes. In this example, exotic and expensive
items (lobster, lemon, fine crystal, turkish
rug, and an o drinking horn ornately
decorated with silver) were arranged to
display the wealth and success of the patron
who commissioned it. Kalf was a master at
capturing colour, texture and the play of light
that would best show off the objects in his
composition. This is an example of
pronkstilleven.
Bodegon
A Spanish term for a still life containing
everyday pantry items, often arranged on a
stone slab, typically found in a tavern.
“The Silver Goblet”
Chardin, France 1768 (oil painting)
Chardin wanted to create bodegon still
lifes that were pure in form, had a calm
unified composition, and were uncluttered
by things like pride or boastfulness that
pronkstilleven still lifes employed. Here
objects were chosen for their simple and
beautiful colour, shape and texture, in
order to create a warm comfortable sense
of beauty in the domestic everyday life.
“Still Life with Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber”
Sanchez-Cotan, Spain, 1600 (oil painting)
Just before he walked away from his worldly life
and became a monk, Sanchez-Cotan did a
number of still lifes. This one looks like an
open window, with objects close enough to
touch. They express a sense of isolation, none
touching another, and some suspended from
above. It’s an interesting approach to forcing a
certain composition. This is an example of a
bodegon still life.
“Vertumnus”
Arcimboldo, Italy, 1590 (oil painting)
Arcimboldo was famous for these portraits
made from images of vegetables, fruit and
flowers. This example is of the Holy Roman
Emperor Rudolf II, but presented as
Vertumnus, the Roman God of Metamorphosis.
The artist was famous at the time, and this
portrait was an amusing addition to Rudolf’s
massive collection of commissioned portraits.
For 300 years after, however, Arcimboldo’s
work was virtually unknown until the Surrealists
rediscovered him.
is this a still life? make an argument for or against
Vanitas
A tradition of still life art that expresses the
meaningless of earthly life, and the transient
nature of earthly goods/pursuits like
materialism, pleasure, or pride.
“Vanitas, Still Life with Candle and Writing Tools”
Peter Claesz, Netherlands, 1628 (oil painting)
This is one of the more simple
examples of a vanitas still life with
only a handful of objects having
symbolic meaning. It is a moralistic
message to the viewer. The expired
candle flame, the empty glass and
the skull remind us of death and
decay. The writing tools are an
example of vanity. The Bible is the
suggestion of salvation.
“Pyramid of Skulls”
Cezanne, France, 1901 (oil painting)
Soon after his mother’s death, and while he
himself was ill, Cezanne had mortality on his
mind, and painted a series of still lifes with skulls
(at odds with his more famous series of still lifes
with apples and vases). The skulls are in the
vanitas tradition, dominate the composition and
are so close they seem to be in the viewer’s
face.
memento mori
“remember that you will die”
“For the Love of God”
Hirst, U.K. 2007 (platinum, diamonds, human teeth)
Hirst, a master of self-marketing, and no
stranger to mystery or controversy,
created this vanitas SCULPTURE at the
cost of $28million. It is a platinum cast of
an 18thC human skull, encrusted with
8601 flawless diamonds. It is an example
of memento mori. It is a glorious victory
over decay, while also an image of the
infinitely relentlessness of death. In the
last few years its deeper meaning has
been stained by rumours of lies and
impropriety regarding its sale, and protest
over its desecration of real human
remains.
“The Thinker”
Cadenet, U.K. 2008 (x-ray)
The artist, while using a living person for the
x-ray, declared this his version of a vanitas
art work. The composition is simplified into
one skeleton, and one watch. It brings the
vanitas tradition to contemporary life, making
comment of the fleeting nature of time, death,
and our mistaken focus on materialism.
is this a still life? make an argument for or against
Pop Art
Referring to the popular culture it sought to use
and critique, this art movement narrowed the
divide between “high falutin” fine art, and
commercial art of the ad world, or popular
trends. It used images of immediately
recognizable food, and other consumer goods,
and celebrities.
“Floor Burger”
Claes Oldenburg, U.S. 1962 (vinyl)
8 feet across and made from vinyl, this
sculpture distorted a common everyday
food that’s immediately recognizable. It
acts as a mirror to society of the pursuit
of the consumer good (in this case a
fast food item that dominates our
culture even more today than it did in
the 60’s). In this case, the medium is
as important as the message because
without the large size and synthetic
material, we wouldn’t question our
relationship to the object. It’s an
example of Pop Art.
“Campbell’s Soup Cans”
Andy Warhol, U.S. 1962 (silkscreen print)
Warhol autographs a Campbells soup can in front
of his silkscreen print of the iconic popular culture
image. The cans are immediately recognizable to
the viewer and hint at the American experiences of
neverending prosperity, a homogenized culture,
and perhaps even stifled individualism. It is an
example of Pop Art.
“Pies, Pies, Pies”
Wayne Thiebaud, U.S. 1961 (oil painting)
Painted during a time of social
unrest (civil rights struggles, antiwar demonstrations) Thiebaud
painted this production-line-like
image of diner food. Many of his
paintings used similar heavy
shadows, reminiscent of ad and
billboard illustrations. It is an
example of Pop Art.
“Vanitas, Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic”
Jana Sterbak, Canada 1991 (raw beef on mannequin)
This feminist art piece uses actual
food for its material. 50 lbs. of raw
flank steak sewn together and hung
on a dress mannequin. The photo of
the model in the dress would often be
displayed next to it. The material
would naturally decay over time and
was remade a handful of times over
the years it was exhibited. It was
provocative and created much
controversy when it gained publicity in
the National Gallery. It contrasts
vanity with bodily decomposition. It
was described as a mixture of the
“seductive, physical and absurd”.
“Salmon on Saran”
Mary Pratt, Canada, 1974 (oil painting)
Mary Pratt’s still lifes demonstrate an
exacting minutely detailed recording
of light, colour and texture of
domestic objects. It leaves the
viewer with an image that looks more
real than reality. Much of her work
elevated images of the everyday life
into the sacred. Here a salmon lies
on light-reflecting saran, on top of a
reflective tablecloth, traces of blood
from the dead fish smeared on the
surface. It is both sensually beautiful,
and a reminder of death.
“The Service Station”
Mary Pratt, Canada, 1978 (oil painting)
The remainder of a moose carcass hangs from the
back of a tow truck, parked in a garage, blood stained
cardboard littering the floor. It may be a reference to
a not uncommon Canadian male experience, while
commenting on the often ignored reality of where our
food comes from. This painting was also interpreted
by some as a feminist social criticism of violence
against women. If nothing else it is about pain and
mortality and an powerful departure for Mary Pratt.
“Dark Mirror”
Janet Fish, U.S. 1976 (oil painting)
The artist is famous for paintings of
everyday objects, mostly glass, often
coloured glass, on reflective surfaces,
sometimes filled with water. The paintings
are large, bold, realistic, and visually
dazzling. She is interested in forms and
the play of light and colour upon and
through those forms.
“Red Poppy”
Georgia O’Keefe, U.S. 1927 (oil painting)
The artist often created large format magnifications
of smaller objects. This is part of a famous series
of flowers she painted. To her, the artist had to
use discernment - carefully select the object carefully eliminate everything extraneous - and
carefully emphasize aspects of the object in order
to create meaningful pieces. She wanted the
viewer to really “see” things for the first time.
“seeing takes time, like to have a friend takes time”
“Rams Head, Hollyhock and Little Hills”
Georgia O’Keefe, U.S. 1935 (oil painting)
In this reference to the vanitas tradition, O’
Keefe juxtaposes images from nature she saw
around her. A skull beautifully eroded by the
desert elements, and a vibrant bloom are
suspended against a mid-west desert
landscape. Far from being a gloomy message
about the spirit of death, it becomes about the
journey of the self, an affirmation of joy. It
moves from the meaning of death, toward the
meaning of life.