The Ancient Egyptians
15th Century BCE
I learnt something new the second I began this piece of research – I was entirely unaware that Still Life art went as far back as the Ancient Egyptians. It’s astounding to think that the tools and materials they used were far more basic than what we have these days and they were still able to create pieces as clear as the one above.
The Egyptians painted valuable items and feasts on the walls of tombs for Pharaohs so that they would have a bountiful afterlife. They also painted them for the Gods, as offerings. I feel that the Egyptians did not have as keen an eye for detail as many modern artists, as the items are quite unrealistic, unshaded and lacking intricate detail, however, it’s still very clear what each item is.
Ancient Greeks & Romans
1st Century
Ancient Greeks and Romans created similar Still Life forms. Whilst they usually produced these in mosaic form, often they would apply it for frescoes. Frescoes are the artistic recreation of an image by applying pigment onto plaster. The above image is from Pompeii and shows a great deal more detail than the productions by the aforementioned Egyptians. Here we are able to see the introduction of shadows, shading, texture, positioning, and proportion. A huge step for humans and their art!
Many masterpieces across time have been preserved beautifully through the use of this technique, such as the astounding ceiling of the Sistine Chapel created by Michelangelo.
The Middle Ages
15th, 16th & 17th Century
In the Middle Ages artists had really adapted and improved their skills in creating powerful pieces of art. As you can see above, some wonderful and incredibly detailed Still Life pieces were formed in this time.
Artists adapted their work forms to serve religious purposes, and mainly illustrated scenes from the Bible, also using their skills to design manuscripts – our first glimpse at the profession of an Illustrator.
How far we came in these years! Whilst the creations provided to us by the Romans and Greeks were delightful and are pieces of art that we still adore and are inspired by today, I feel that the artists of the Middle Ages changed the game forever. The passion and effort that have gone into every inch of the 5 pieces above will never cease to amaze me.
The fine, fine details are what make each piece so powerful. Focusing on the right hand picture – Christ at Emmaus – it seems to me that you never stop noticing things in it. The four men sat around the table, the expressions and features of their faces, how they hold themselves, the clothes they wear, the food on the table, the shading and shadowing. It feels as though I am looking not at a painting, but at a photograph. I can only aspire to be as talented and creative as the artist that created this piece – Jan Van Eyck.
Renaissance
14th – 16th Century
These pictures are so beautiful it makes me feel emotional just looking at them. They are gorgeous in every way.
In comparison to the pieces created in The Middle Ages, these are equally astounding, however, in an entirely different way.
Whilst both eras follow a very dark theme, using a mixture of colours that never seem to appear bright, no matter how vibrant they are, the objects within the pieces differ. The two images above include life forms, similar to the aforementioned artist Jan Van Eyck, yet these life forms are not human. Flowers and pieces of fruit seem to play a large part in Still Life artwork from around this time.
Again, it’s like looking at a photograph, the amount of detail that is used in creating the items and the area surrounding them. A massive improvement has been made regarding the perspective and proportion used in forming these magnificent pieces, as you can see the depth within each one. I can see exactly how long and wide the table that the fruit and wine sit upon is. I am able to really gauge how large the bouquet of flowers is in comparison to the size of the surface beneath it.
I adore the texture created on the table cloth in the second image. I think it’s my favourite aspect of each of the pieces. I love how the artist has formed the folds and waves within the cloth, using very expert shading and shadowing techniques to create this. It’s funny because when I look very closely, I am able to see that it is just the use of a black drawing tool that has created such a brilliant effect, however, when you just sit and admire the image it has the powerful ability to trick you into thinking you’re looking at the actual thing, as though the items on that cloth on that table are sat right in front of you.
Modern Art
19th & 20th Century
In later centuries Still Life remained a very popular focus for artists.
Famous artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso have taken their own very unique approach upon still life in many well-known and loved pieces.
Focusing upon Twelve Sunflowers in a Vase painted in 1888 by Van Gogh, you can see that his sense of realism is not at the forefront of his creativity. The first thing I noticed, other than the vibrancy out the painting, is that there are few prominent lines. There is a simple outline of the vase and a few here and there around the flowers, but there is very little structure to the items in the piece. Next, I noticed the lack of shading. There are no shadows cast upon the wall by the flowers, the vase, or the rear of the table, which is something that hugely improved my pieces, by showing the space between objects and the proportion of an item in comparison to another. This is not a detail included in this piece, which gives it an almost cartoon-like effect.
The other thing I can see is how subtly Van Gogh has created the appearance of reflected light. It appears that not a lot of precision and effort has been included in portraying this. To me, it looks as though the artist has taken a few effortless dabs with a lighter coloured paint along the centre of the vase, but somehow it works brilliantly to capture the detail.
This is a perfect example of an artist that has worked their character and personality into their work. When you look at Twelve Sunflowers in a Vase, or any similar pieces, you immediately think of the name Van Gogh. The specific colours and lack of fine details are something that is very characteristic of his work, and something you would immediately recognise if you saw it without context.
To be able to create a piece of work that people recognise without knowing the name of the piece or art or the exact artist is incredible, and something that inspires me an extraordinary amount.
Next, Picasso’s Basket of Fruit.
His pieces are also extremely recognisable, and he is an artist that I focused on a lot throughout my art classes at school. My first thought when I look at his art now is weird.
This piece is very, very strange and definitely unique. I would have never known that it were a basket of fruit as it looks almost robotic. If I were without context and had to guess the things that I could see in this painting, I would guess that it were a helmet of some description and a chandelier, however, alas, it is not.
I find it very difficult to like Picasso’s work, as many of his pieces unsettle me and have an eerie vibe.
Again, this piece looks very cartoon-like and as though it were created in a very short amount of time. The colours used are extremely dull – dark greens, dark reds, greys, and black. There are very small uses of brighter colours such as gold and white, however, these are overshadowed by the darker tones within the painting.
The lack of perspective in this is slightly alarming. The items look extremely 2-D, however, I imagine a basket of fruit and a table would be anything but 2-D. It looks as though the basket is completely flat, and also is though it is partially floating in mid-air. This is something that I consider to weaken a Still Life painting, as the point is to represent life and/or realism.
Another thing that I noticed is, whilst some areas are shaded in, other areas that should include shading are without. For example, the right-hand side of the chandelier includes shading where the object is blocking the light, however, with this in mind, should the basket not also have shadowing/shading on it’s right-hand side?
After reviewing these examples across the centuries, I have decided that my favourite era for their take on Still Life is the Renaissance. I much prefer it when the artists create the objects exactly as they see it, or how they think it would truly look. When the perspective and proportion of an item is as accurate as possible it gives the piece a more powerful end result. Also, when shadowing and reflective light is portrayed correctly it has such a hugely positive impact on the piece and the outcome of it. I adore how artists during the Renaissance formed their artwork – the colours used, the fine details in each and every object, and the effect the lighting has on each item.
In the future, I think I will take a lot of inspiration from these pieces, even the ones that I didn’t enjoy as much. There are parts from each individual artwork and each artist that I could use to influence my work. I’m looking forward to delving further into the past for some more motivation in my future pieces.
Jesy Gilkes 