Modern

‘Glass and Bottle of Suze’, 1912, Pablo picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), Pasted papers, gouache, and charcoal

• Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist, painter, sculpture and draughtsman. He was born on October 25th, 1881 in Malaga, Spain.
• Picasso is one of the most recognised 20th Century artists and is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for his wide range of styles produced in his works.
• The Cubist movement involved artists painting images using cubes, spheres, cylinders and other geometric shapes. Artworks would often look as if they were separate images, cut up and put back together.
• This work is on a liquor bottle with a label and glass placed on a table, with an ash tray and cigarette and smoke. In this work, Picasso explores different levels of interpretation and illusion by forcing the viewer to notice the simple flat arrangement of objects cut out of paper, as well as the individual objects themselves.
• The newspaper provides an interesting background to the work as well as suggesting the popular activity of reading the paper whilst drinking and having a cigarette, as well as adding a political and social dimension to the image.

Historical

Still Life with Fruit, Glassware and a Wan-Li Bowl, 1659, Willem Kalf (Dutch, 1619-1693), Oil on Canvas

• Willem Kalf was a 17th Century Dutch painter, known for his incredible detail in his works.
• The 17th Century was a crucial time in art history as it sae the transition in the development and market of art. At this time the distinct category of still-life became officially accepted in the art world.
• This painting uses techniques of lighting, texture and colour to portray the rare craftmanship and talent Kalf used in his work.
• The glossy, transparent glassware contrats with the duller highlights that edge the rim of the platter. Willem Kalf was particularly interested in the way light and colour gleamed off reflective surfaces.
• The peeled lemon, bowl of fruit, glassware and Turkish carpet are symbols of affluence and suggest that this artwork would have been reflected of an affluent household.

Historical Artworks

Francisco de Zurbarán, Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose, 1633, oil on canvas, 60x107cm, The Norton Simon Foundation 

• The 17^th Century was an important time for still life painting as it was accepted by the French Academy of Painting and Sculpture in the 1660’s as an official genre.
• This piece was aimed at and appreciated by the religious Spanish Catholics in the 17th century, as the objects portrayed contained significant religious meaning which was popular in many still lifes at the time.
• Through the composition, the individual objects encourage deep, symbolic religious meaning as all the items are related to the Virgin Mary, and is seen as a tribute to Our Lady. 

• The citrons on the left signify faithfulness, the basket of oranges in the centre represents virginity, the orange blossoms symbolise fertility, the cup of water signifies purity and the rose is a symbol of divine love.
• The structural division of the composition into three separate units alludes to the Holy Trinity, or can be interpreted as offerings on an altar. 

Artist: Janet Fish

Title: 8 Vinegar Bottles

Date: 1972

Material: Oil on canvas

Size: 134.62cm x 183.21cm

Location: Dallas Museum of Art, USA

• Janet Fish was born in 1983 and was a contemporary American artist who specialised in still life paintings
• Her works are flourishing and textural and packed with organic brushstrokes and lusty colours
• Her paintings are very simple containing simple everyday objects, but yet are very interesting, this can be seen in this quote, "Her paintings of things can be as... beautiful objects that convey no message, that cause the mind to stop thinking and to contemplate the marvel before one's eyes."
• She uses light as her subject and loves to produce harmonious compositions that vibrate with energy and light
• Her work has been characterised as photorealist but to describe her work in terms of art history, it is a 17th century Dutch still life artwork combined with Abstract Expressionist brushwork

Modern Artwork

Picasso, Pablo Bull Skull, Fruit, and Pitcher, 1939, Oil on canvas, 65 x 92 cm, The Cleveland Museum of Art

• Bull's Skull, Fruit and Pitcher is a modern Cubist painting that has adopted the conventions of the seventeenth century vanitas still life.
• It was painted around the time of the fall of the Spanish Republic and during the rise in dictatorial governments in Europe, and this painting provided hope for the people. 
• One idea portrayed in this artwork is the opposing principles of life, which is shown through the contrasting elements present - the gloomy foreground and the bright background - providing that there is light and dark to every situation.
• Life and death are also present in this work as the skull, a representation of death, contrasts with the fruit, a symbol of nourishment and life, and the tree in full bloom which gives this otherwise depressing work hope for something better.  
• The third idea relates to the dismay Picasso felt after the fall of the Spanish Republic, which is shown through the symbol of the bull which signifies power, contrasted by the fact that the bull in this work is dead and decaying. 

Artist: Willem Kalf

Name: Still Life with Drinking Horn

Date: 1653

Material: Oil on canvas

Size: 86.4cm x 102.2cm

Location: National Gallery, London

• Willem Kalf was an important Dutch still life painter as he developed the type of still life known as 'pronkstileven' or 'pronk' for short
• 'Pronk' still life portrayed much of the prosperity of the Dutch Republic at the time based on its international trade
• In 1609, religious images were not allowed to be produced so the Dutch artists of the time only concentrated on secular objects
• If you were able to afford one of the paintings that Kalf painted, you would then use them to show off your high economic status at the time
• Kalf used the play of reflections and tinted shadows to draw the composition together in this artwork; he has chosen to make the background black so that the objects with vivid colours can stand out, for e.g. the lobster

Comparison of 'Vanitas with Violin and Glass Ball' by Pieter Claesz and 'Implement Blue' by Margaret Preston

VANITAS WITH VIOLIN AND GLASS BALL - PIETER CLAESZ

oil on panel, 1628, 36 x 59, Germanisches National Museum, Nuremberg

- Claesz was one of the most important Dutch still life painters of the 17th century.
- His principal aim was to render the materials and catch the reflected light as accurately as possible. His compositional and painterly techniques and his extensive painting skills illustrated in his works made him highly admirable.
- Both traditional patrons of art and the merging middle class had a strong interest in the art form of still life
- Still life art in the 17th century often included strong sybolism to suggest meaning behind the objects. This work is strongly influenced by symbolism for example; The overturned glass drained to the very last drop symbolises the brevity of earthly pleasures.
- Lighting is important in the work to signify importance of some objects for example; the violin.

IMPLEMENT BLUE - MARGARET PRESTON

oil on canvas on hardboard, 1927, 42 x 43, New South Wales, Australia

- Margaret Preston was one of Austalia's most celebrated modern artists.
- She concentrated on the principals and motifs of modernist art, Asian art and Aboriginal art.
- Austrlian art in the 1900's was more characterised by European influences and Preston felt strongly about this so she developed a preoccupation with the idea of developing a modern and distinctly Australian art.
- The artwork consists of man made objects which have been arranged in a very modern and artificially lit space.
- The restricted colour palette in Implement Blue is very different to Margarets usual works which display colourful and elaborate flowers.