Which artists painted still lifes. Still life as a genre of fine art. (A brief description of)

In the world of beauty

(cognitive and creative meetings)

What is still life?

Goal: To introduce educators to still life, to teach them to distinguish between types and types of still lifes, and to practice their composition.

Art carries within itself a vast experience of human relationships with the surrounding world - other people, nature, things - and therefore is for all of us the most important means of understanding universal human moral and aesthetic values. “Only through art can a person not learn, not study, but experience someone else’s experience with his feelings!” says the famous artist and teacher B.M. Nemensky. Aesthetic feelings are multidimensional, often in opposite directions (“And laughter, and tears, and love”); they train the emotional nature of a person, and by repeating themselves, they enter the emotional fund, enriching it, making accessible understanding such experiences that a person himself has not yet encountered in life, opening the way to familiarization with spiritual values.

Painting is one of the main types visual arts. Her expressive means are: color (color harmony), drawing and composition. With the help of color, the artist can evoke a certain feeling in the audience. emotional condition: joy, sadness, anxiety, restlessness, peace.. The drawing conveys the features of the form and character of the image. Composition - constructing an image, highlighting the main thing - guides our perception of the image.

Still life , as a rule, becomes the first pictorial genre with which children are introduced. “Dead nature”, “motionless nature”, “calm, quiet life” - this is how the concept of “Still Life” is translated. All these names are arbitrary and do not exhaust the essence of the genre. This is explained by the variety of image objects in still life, which are divided into two large groups: natural objects (flowers, fruits, food, sometimes accompanied by birds, small animals, insects) and things made by human hands.

The objects of the image are valuable to the artist in themselves: the variety of their shapes, color combinations, textures, their density, softness, hardness, juiciness, moisture, humidity, ripeness, grace and fragility delight him and inspire him to create. The artist calmly, leisurely, carefully examines objects close up, shows them to the viewer close-up, from different angles - whole, cut, broken. All this allows him to identify such properties and qualities of objects that make the viewer see familiar, familiar things in a new way and appreciate their beauty.

However, this is not the only goal of the artist. Through images of objects and objects of the flora and fauna, revealing their individual characteristics, he gives the viewer the opportunity to see the role they play in human life, shows the peculiarities of life, views, attitudes towards the world inherent in people different countries and eras.

One of the main themes of the still life genre is the theme of love for nature, the theme of its knowledge and development, admiration for the abundance of its gifts, their beauty and endless diversity. But this is not only an admiration of nature, but also a glorification of the person who raised, collected, and preserved all these riches. Art critic K.G. Cherlikina writes that on the canvases of Snyders, behind the fish shops, one can discern the tireless sailing ships of the Dutch that plied the seas of the whole world, and behind the colorful piles of fruit in Saryan’s paintings are the hardworking hands of the Armenian peasants. In a still life, as a rule, the theme of human labor and creativity is always read. Indeed, looking at the objects depicted in the picture, you begin to understand how much effort and skill was put into making a vase, a painted tray, an embroidered towel, growing vegetables, baking bread.

The heyday of still life as a genre came in the 17th century. It was glorified by artists who received the nickname “Little Dutchmen”, either for the small size of the paintings, or for the “trifling” themes - still life was then a novelty.

Most of all, the “little Dutch” loved to paint beautiful dishes, rich household utensils, and tables set with exquisite, luxurious dishes. They were called "breakfasts"

At the same time, in neighboring Flanders, artists were mastering another type of still life - “Food.” On large canvases they depicted mountains of game, fish, and fruit, making the paintings resemble a grocery store window.

Russian artists liked the Flemish still lifes that decorated the halls of the Hermitage, the imperial museum in St. Petersburg. And Russian artists began to learn from the Flemish ones, imitate them and create equally large and colorful paintings.

Russian painters actually composed their still lifes, and did not paint from life. Look at Legashov’s painting “Fruit”. Here, right on the ground, under an old birch stump, lie whole piles of fruits and berries - peaches and grapes, apples and pears, oranges and plums. On the left is a large pumpkin. Here we see a blooming rose bush, growing mushrooms, ivy entwined around the branches of trees. Of course it's fantasy! An artist creating a still life is similar to a storyteller, only he composes a fairy tale not about people, but about flowers and fruits.

Impressionist artists of France were very fond of still lifes. They painted not in workshops, but right on the streets of Paris, achieving amazing brightness, richness, and sunshine in color on their canvases.

Thus, two types of still life emerged:

1.Still life , in which things talk about their owner (his habit, character, profession)

2. Still life , in which things speak primarily about themselves, their qualities. They seem to invite you to admire the beauty of their appearance, shape, and color.

When introducing children to still life, you should pay attention to all its characteristics: appearance, character of the image, means of expression, individual style of creativity of the artists.

Art historians do not divide still lifes by type. But for working with children this seems important. Let's highlight the followingtypes of still lifes:

Single-order– objects and objects of the same type are depicted (only vegetables, fruits, flowers)

Mixed - a variety of objects and objects are presented

Plot – depicts a variety of objects and items united by a plot concept. Subject paintings include still lifes depicting living creatures: birds, animals, humans.

When introducing children to the artistic culture of society, introducing them to still life as one of the genres of painting, we must take into account the subordination of the child’s intellect to his emotional interests. It is emotional responsiveness that gives a child access to understanding the meaning of an artistic image, the idea of ​​a work. For children preschool age it is difficult to independently comprehend the aesthetic and moral values, embedded in artistic images. Therefore, the role of an adult is so great, who, with his questions, draws the attention of children to the means of expressiveness of a still life, teaches them to purposefully examine an artistic picture, to see how, with the help of drawing, color, and composition, the artist conveys his mood and attitude to what he depicts.

You can introduce children to still life starting from early preschool age (4th year of life). The selection of artistic paintings and the content of conversations about them should be appropriate for age and individual capabilities children.

The process of introducing children to painting requires teachers and parents to have a lot of patience, slowness, tact, skill and their own emotionally positive attitude towards the works of art in question. It should be remembered that in order to look at a reproduction of an artistic painting with children and talk about it, it is necessary to choose the right time, disconnect from all everyday worries, create a mindset for perceiving a work of art, and arouse emotional interest and an appropriate mood in children. There is no need to rush and look at all the works at once in “one sitting.” Do it gradually. When offering another reproduction, first let the kids examine it on their own and admire it. Show interest in whether they liked it and why they liked it. Then start a conversation - a dialogue. Be respectful of each child's feelings; express your kindness and joy if the child managed to see something special in the picture. In turn, tell us what pleased or surprised you. After looking at the reproduction, put it in a prominent place, and at every opportunity, refer to it again and again, each time noting and finding something new.

Children 5-7 years old draw still lifes with colored pencils, felt-tip pens, and paints. To depict a vase or jug, it is sometimes more convenient to use silhouettes cut out of colored paper. In this vase, the child paints a bouquet of flowers and places fruits and vegetables nearby. Such still lifes are especially interesting to a child because they combine collage and painting techniques.

Before drawing a still life, you can invite your child to look around and choose those objects or plants from which it can be composed; ask him why he chose these particular items.

Adults can put flowers in a jug or vase and invite the child to look at them, admire the beauty of the petals and leaves.

Try the following task. Let the child take two apples and a banana. It is desirable that there are apples different color(green and red), then in combination with a yellow banana they will create a composition that is bright in color. Invite your child to first admire the still life, and then use gouache paints to paint this composition on album sheet. If you fill the entire space of the sheet with broad strokes, you will get a beautiful still life against a colored background.

Depending on the time of year, the content of the still life changes and children find new subjects for their paintings.

Introducing children to still life helps develop aesthetic feelings, figurative speech, as evidenced by the appearance of vivid associations, metaphors, and comparisons.

Still life(French: Nature morte - dead nature), one of the genres of painting depicting the 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 life motifs are already found in art Ancient East and antiquity. 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.

The first mention of still life can be found in XV-XVI centuries. For a long time, still life maintained a connection with religious painting.

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. The diversity of its types and forms at this time is associated with the development of national realistic schools of painting.

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).

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”).

For Dutch still lifes , as in general for still life of the 17th century, is characterized by the presence of hidden philosophical overtones, complex Christian or love symbolism(the lemon was a symbol of moderation, the dog was a symbol of fidelity, etc.)

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 "bench"(Y. Faith, 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.

IN Italy and Spain The rise of still life painting was greatly facilitated by the work of Caravaggio. The favorite themes of still life were flowers, vegetables and fruits, seafood, kitchenware etc. (P. P. Bonzi, M. Campidoglio, G. Recco, J. B. Ruoppolo, E. Baskenis, etc.).

Spanish artists preferred to limit themselves to a small set of objects and worked in a reserved color scheme. The 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 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.

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).

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. P. Picasso, A. Matisse

It can not only decorate any room, but also bring special philosophical content to it. Still life- an absolutely stunning painting that has a very intriguing property, capable of stopping you and making you admire copies of things that you usually don’t pay attention to. At first glance, it would seem that the simplest objects depicted in the paintings are actually carry deep semantic content. Often not straightforward, but associative or symbolic. As they say, what matters is not what is directly depicted in the picture, but what it tells. Today, still life can be classified not only as canvases that capture surrounding images using painting techniques, but also as an independent element of the interior , as well as the art of photography.

Still life "breakfast" - This is basically a composition from a small number of objects. They can be made from various materials: made of glass, ceramics or metal. Such a still life is not only filled with meaning, revealing the inextricable harmonious connection between people and the world around them, but is also filled with a healthy optimism in the perception of life. It is noticeable how generous Mother Nature is, and what talents and hard work a person has. We can also decorate our interior style with similar compositions. Or you can simply pick up a painting of a still life and hang it in the living room.

Impossible not to mention about French still life , in which the decorativeness of court art triumphs. Hunting trophies and flowers gave the still life a romantic mood. This still life will perfectly complement the interior of an office, hallway or living room.

Still life, requiring knowledge of religious traditions and symbolism, was called "Vanity" , or "scientist" still life . This intellectual view of still life originated in the mid-17th century. at the University of Leiden and became very popular not only in the country, but also abroad. Next to objects, symbols of human happiness, we see skulls - mystical symbols. They are next to the royal crown, then to knightly armor, then to musical instruments, then with jewelry. With a dry rustle, someone's minutes of existence are counted in an hourglass.

Illusionistic still life – trompe l'oeil. Became popular in the mid-17th century. Such still lifes use an illusionistic technique that skillfully creates an optical illusion three-dimensional space, like modern ones - volumetric or 3D. ANDeven then this kind of still lifewas designed to solve the same interior shortcomings. The birthplace of still lifes, characterized by a meager territory for the construction of residential buildings, forced architects to give preference to the number of storeys. At the same time, the interiors were limited in area and were represented by small rooms and narrow staircases leading upstairs. A forced measure was the combination of a bedroom, an office and a living room. The small partitions between the windows were decorated with small mirrors in frames, paintings or geographic Maps. Such was the modest interior decor . Therefore, in order to somehow visually expand the boundaries of a closed room, Dutch masters developed perspective and diversity of space in their paintings. Moreover, this grandiosity may not correspond to reality. Visually, the interior illusively continues on the canvas. The artists copied the object with special care. you are domestic and gave free rein to imagination when the need arose to create an effect free zones. Thanks to the refined coloring, the effect of tangibility, the selection of objects and the rationalism of the composition, the trompe l’oeil paintings reflected real life educated population. Next to the toiletries there could be attributes for science or art, or hunting equipment. Such still lifes are ideal for a small apartment.

Still life "set tables" also grew out of Dutch painting. Banquets were held in the city in honor of the soldiers who fought for the independence of Holland, and in order to perpetuate the memory of these events, portraits were commissioned from artists. Usually only close people gathered at the table, so table setting was subordinated to the idea of ​​fraternity and camaraderie. Gradually, such still lifes began to express the philosophy of the holiday, carefree fun and happiness and its short duration. But as the clock strikes, the pleasure of fine wines, sumptuous dishes and the joy of life in general disappears; only pieces of uneaten bread, nut shells and fragments of broken dishes remain.

Speaking about still lifes in general, it is impossible not to mention about a special genre of still life – luxurious still life f. It is usually filled with highly aesthetic feelings and consists mainly of luxury goods and very original objects. It could be an expensive antique beautiful weapon, swords, decorated precious stones, hunting trophies. Expensive food - pastries, cheeses, expensive drinks in precious glasses made of porcelain, glass or gold, as well as fruits can make up a luxurious still life. Rare books or a Bible in expensive binding, antique watches and gilded candlesticks with candles burning on them will make a chic composition.

Based on the imaging technique, there are the following: types of still life painting.

For creating decorative still life the artist uses stylized forms that are close to ornament, but have a symbolic essence. It is characterized by bright contrasting colors, expressive silhouettes and flatness. The flatness of decorative still lifes goes well with the plane of the wall. This genre of art can decorate the interior of a room and its architecture. The painting can be made in the same color scheme as the room, harmoniously continuing it. Or maybe, on the contrary, it can be a bright spot that draws attention to itself, thereby developing the space in some rhythm. Finding yourself in such an environment, you internally tune in to rhythm and musicality.

Working on realistic still life , the artist depicts such vivid paintings that they are almost impossible to distinguish from photographs. The composition is not overloaded with many objects, conveys their individuality and is as close to nature as possible. Each color spot has a clear contour and volume and is presented in real color. For example, decorating bedroom interior or living room, you can create a light composition of your favorite flowers yourself. In a small vase or any other vessel it is enough to place a modest bouquet containing green foliage and large flowers

with slight carelessness intertwined naturally. A wonderful interior addition will be bunches of grapes and juicy apples placed on an elegant plate. Several grapes lie picturesquely on a white napkin or tablecloth. Looking at such still lifes, you seem to feel the aroma and taste of fruits and drinks.Hyperrealistic still lifes appeared in modern times. Thanks to the opened the latest technologies and the possibilities of taking photographs, it became possible to receive such a clear image that the illusion of real life is created.

Symbolic still life consists of objects depicted in a very simplified manner, similar to conventional signs. There are fruits scattered on the tablecloth, but it seems that they were sculpted with a plaster spatula. If you come close, you will see a pile of multi-colored strokes instead of a clear shape of the fruit. However, stepping back, they become clearly recognizable: ripe and juicy, and present an organized, complete composition. The outlines of objects organically interact with the same simplified colors. Such a still life interior is not created in order to describe appearance things that came into view, but to express all the feelings, associations, sensations and emotions that they awakened.

IN abstract still life all objects are depicted distortedly, almost schematically and far from reality. All colors do not have smooth transitions, but on the contrary, they have sharp geometric shapes.

Insists: for your interior, do not hold back your imagination, give free rein to your emotions and desires. Not only his photographic or pictorial image, but also he himself, like , is capable of amazing things - for example, uniquely decorating even the most unassuming environment.

What is still life?

Still life (from the French nature morte - “dead nature”) is a genre of art depicting inanimate objects in a specially created composition.

Let us consider in a little more detail what a still life is and what types it can be divided into.

Dutch still life from the 17th century

In the Dutch still life of this era, for the most part, measured, seemingly frozen life was captured.

At this time in Holland, still life as a genre developed quite intensively, which was facilitated by various factors. At this time the level was high scientific development in mathematics, physics, natural science, social sciences. Sailors brought many new items from abroad, new technologies for manufacturing various things arose, and many different beautiful goods were placed on display windows.

There are two types of popular still lifes at this time - floral and scientist.

Flower still life

Since the 40s In the 17th century, still life began to develop as an independent genre. Its popularity is easily explained: at that time it was considered traditional to have luxurious gardens and to actively grow flowers.

Representatives: Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Balthasar van der Ast, Jan David de Hem.

Scientist still life

It is considered an intellectual type of still life. To understand such a still life, a person needs to understand the Bible and religious symbolism. This genre often uses illusions to create optical illusions. They gained the greatest popularity in the middle of the 17th century in Holland and abroad.

Popular artists include the following: Jacob de Geyn the Younger, Floris van Dyck, Hans van Essen, Amborius Bosschaert the Elder and the Younger, Clara Peters, David Bayly, Maria van Oosterwijk, Cornelis Briese, Abraham Mignon, Willem van Aalst, Jan van Huysum.

Still life in Russia XVIII-XX centuries.

How the still life genre took shape in Russia in early XVIII V. Until the 19th century, it was considered a lower genre; it was understood in a limited way, mainly as a simple composition, for example, a setting of fruits and flowers. Initially, still life depicted gifts of the sea and land, various things.

In the 20th century, this genre rose a notch higher; this was the time of its heyday in Russia. The search for new colors, shapes, and compositions began. Within literally 15 years, still life changed from impressionism to abstract art.

In the 30-40s. In the twentieth century, the development of the genre slowed down a bit, but in the 50s there was a new rise, and still life strengthened its position among other painting genres.

Russian artists working at this time: Pyotr Konchalovsky, Viktor Teterin, Sergei Zakharov, Nikolai Pozdneev, Ilya Meshkov, Konstantin Korovin, Sergei Osipov, Maya Kopytseva, Evgenia Antipova, Yaroslav Krestovsky, Kapitolina Rumyantseva, etc.

Still life of the XX-XXI centuries.

Still life in this era is a wide field for experimentation. This genre develops in various areas:

Now, knowing what a still life is, if you wish, you can practice in this genre. You will also find this article useful useful materials you will find in the section.

The beauty of nature has always touched the hearts and minds of people. Artists, with their special aesthetic perception, have always tried to combine living and non-living things. Still life is a consonance of everyday objects and nature. The peculiarity of the composition allows the artist to convey to the viewer the emotional richness of the picture.

A still life with flowers is so picturesque in itself that it does not require a variety of additional details. The color of lighting, the combination of lines and colors, shape and texture allow you to create a unique dramaturgy of the image.

What is still life?

Still life translated from French means "dead nature". It developed into an independent genre of painting in the 17th century. Still life is entirely devoted to depicting things. This distinguishes it from portrait, landscape, and historical themes. Objects of living nature (fish, game, fruits, flowers) are present in the still life. But they are cut off from their natural environment. For example, fish and game are on the table, fruit is in a plate, flowers are in a vase.

Images of people, animals or insects can be found in still life. But they are rather an addition to the main motive. Because the goal of still life is the texture of objects, concentration on details. This is an aesthetic focus on the contrast of shapes, colors, and general background.

The artist himself chooses the composition for his painting: household items, drapery. He can change, move or completely remove any part. The entire compositional integrity depends entirely on the artist.

Still life symbolism

All objects in a still life contain a certain meaning, a secret subtext. Objects speak to the viewer in the language of symbols.

• The skull is a symbol of the frailty of life.
• Crystal glass - fragility.
• An empty glass (as opposed to a full one) is a reminder of death.
• Gold and silver dishes are a habit of luxury.
• Keys - hiding or disclosing secrets.
• Snakes, lizards - deceit and cunning.
• Flies, spiders - malice.
• A nut in a shell is a soul bound by sin.

The variety of meanings of objects depends on the era and country in which the still life was painted. Flowers are carried in a vase hidden meaning old age and withering, if they crumble. Bright and fresh symbolize youth and beauty.

Violets and forget-me-nots speak of purity and innocence. Bright, red flowers - about pride, arrogance. The olive branch is a symbol of peace. Flower buds - hidden possibilities. Lilies of the valley, bells - modesty, tenderness. Butterflies flying around a vase of flowers mean immortality, rebirth and rebirth of the human soul.

Still life with flowers

The greatest flowering of still life as a genre is expressed in the paintings of Flemish and Dutch artists. Household items and kitchen utensils are idealized and become important actors in the picture.

The popularity of floral motifs is associated with the Dutch tradition of growing gardens, houseplants. The lush greenery, variety of shades, sun rays and raindrops in the leaves are attractive to the artist’s aesthetic taste.

Still life with flowers became popular after the appearance of paintings by such masters as Jan Davids de Heem, Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, and Balthasar van der Ast.

French impressionism supported the development of still life as a separate genre. Color spots, rich light, transmission air flow in the canvas - new principles of perception of the surrounding world - were introduced by Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Renoir.

Russian painters (Igor Grabar, Konstantin Korovin, Isaac Levitan) saw the style of still life somewhat differently. They put the authenticity of the image first. That's why their paintings are so realistic. Still life, flowers transform into a reliable plane, striking with their emotional persuasiveness.

Contemporary painting

Still life with flowers is still relevant today. These are paintings done in oil, watercolor, and pencil. Energy of space, natural colors, modern capabilities Photographic arts make their own adjustments to the still life genre. These are garden and country flowers, luxurious designer bouquets and modest spring foliage.

Such paintings fit perfectly into the interior of the house. Their color saturation and colorful emotionality will add the necessary accents to the decor of the apartment. The variety of arrangements of colors, objects, and modern realities depends on the aesthetic imagination of the artist.