transience in still lifethe religious paintings of c.1500. however, italian baroque master...

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Abstract:

ThisarticleexploresthesubjectoftransiencewithinStillLife,athemeimbuedwithsymbolism.ThearticleaimstoexplorecomplexmessagesandnarrativeissuessurroundingdeathandprocessesofdegradationknownasVanitas,mortalityandmorality.Itwilluseacomparisonofthree1600-1800NorthernRenaissanceWesternEuropeanartistsandthreeContemporaryartiststoexamineissuessurroundingthesubjectareaofStillLife.ItwillalsodiscussissuessurroundingXenia‘StillLife’andhowthisantiquityhasreflectedonthelaterStillLifegenre.

TransienceinStillLife

Archaeologicalexcavationsinthemid-18thcenturyweremadeatvillasburiedbeneaththelavaofMountVesuviuswhichdestroyedthecitiesofPompeiiandHerculaneumin79AD1whichuncoveredexamplesofancientStillLifeart,whichlatercametobecalledXenia(ancientGreek:ξενία, xenia,trans.“guest-friendship)of‘StillLife’.2,000yearoldRomanartrepresentednature reposée,thingsatrest;suchasbasketsoffruit,seafood,pitchersandewers,whichwerevaluedbytheRomanviewerandcametobefamiliarsymbolicsubjectswithinthelaterStillLifegenre2Unfortunatelyonlybrokenandruinedfragmentsofthe‘Stilllife’xeniaofancienttimeswererecoveredfromtheexcavationsatPompeiibutsimpleStillLifeobjectscanalsobeseeninAncientGreekmosaicartandEgyptianStillLifeartrecoveredfromtombs.

TheXenia‘StillLife’artformconnectsdirectlywithlaterartanditsdialoguebetweennaturalandman-madecollections.Viewedasatransientculturalfashion,orwayoflife,ofitsday,StillLifepaintingdisappearedwiththefalloftheRomanEmpirein400AD,thedefiningeventofthefollowing1,000yearsfromthemedievalperiodtotheRenaissance.

GreekSophistphilosopherPhilostratus,whotaughtinAthensandlaterinRome,inthethirdcenturyAD,wroteImagines,whichguidedhisRomanstudentsthroughthepaintingsoftheirculture.IssuessurroundingpaintingsintheImaginesremainunresolvedastowhethertheStillLifexeniaactuallyexistedorwereperhapslargelyorwhollyimagined.3HowevertheImaginescontributetoanunderstandingoftheartofxenia‘StillLife’.

InRomanhistoricalculturetheNaturall HistoirebyPlinytheElder,1stcenturyAD,whichwasconsideredthefirstencyclopaedia,andtheworkofPhilostratus,setthetoneforhowStillLifewastobeconsideredthelowliest,baselevelformofart.ThetextofPhilostratuswhichcorrespondwiththehistoricalevidenceuncoveredinthearchaeologicalexcavationsrevealsevidentialpracticessuchasgroupingpaintingsintocyclesandtherankingofStillLifeasthelowestofthegenresofpainting4.

1Wallace-Hadrill,A.BBCNews:AncientHistory,Pompeii:PortentsofDisaster[online].Availablefrom:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_portents[Accessed10thNovember2015]2Therediscoveryofthelost‘StillLife’XeniaasaninfluenceofthelaterWesternStillLifegenrewasarguedbyCharlesSterlingin Still Life Painting From Antiquity to the Twentieth CenturybutwaschallengedfromErnstGombrichinMeditations on a Hobby Horse and other Essays on the Theory of Art(London:Phaidon,1963),pp.95–103.3DiscussiononPompeianpainting;RichardBrillianVisualNarratives:StorytellinginEtruscanandRomanArt(Ithaca,NewYork:CornellUP,1984),pp.53–89.4The ImaginesoftheElderPhilostratus’Art Bulletin, xxiii(1941),pp.16-17.

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XeniaartofantiquitysharedcharacteristicswiththelatertraditionofEuropeanart,depictingtherelationshipbetweenthenaturalandtheman-made.TheStillLifepaintingideasrepresentingxeniareflecttheabundanceofthenaturalworldandtheconsequentabsenceoftheneedforhumanlabour.

ThexeniaofantiquityandlaterStillLifepaintingshareadefiningfeaturewhichistheabsenceofthehumanform.WhentheGreeksbecamemoreluxurious,asfirstrecordedbyVitruvius,diningroomandprovisionswereprovidedtoguestsandtheirxeniawelcomedthestrangerintotheirhousehold.Thehostandguestweregivenequalhospitalityfromabundanceofnature,regardlesstosocialhierarchyandthexeniadepictedqualitiesrepresentinga‘banquetfortheentireworld’.5Theworld’sabundanceappearedtobesovastthattherewasnoneedtofightforone’sshare.

WiththeriseofChristianityandtheCatholicChurch,there-emergenceofStillLifewasdepictedwithinthereligiouspaintingsofc.1500.However,ItalianBaroquemasterMichelangeloMerisidaCaravaggio(1573-1610),alongwithotherartists,wroteanewchapterinarthistoryandmarkedthebeginningoftheEuropeanStillLifepaintinggenre.HisonlyindependentStillLifepaintingthatsurvived,BasketofFruit (1599),paintedinoils,wasdiscoveredbyLionelloVenturiin1910andishousedintheAmbrosiana,Milan.6

MichelangeloMerisidaCaravaggio(1599)BasketofFruit.Oiloncanvas,46x64.5cm.BibliotecaAmbrosiana,Milan.

FourotherStillLifepaintingsbyhishandareextantbutonlyasdetailsinfigurepaintings.Caravaggio,amongothers,thusresurrectedthedisciplineofStillLife,oneofthemostpopularinthehistoryofart,whichhadbeenlostsinceantiquity.Basket of Fruit intheantiquestyleofthexeniaStillLifeandisasanexerciseintrompel’oeilrealism.ItcontainsthesamelightingtechniquesastheearlyxeniaStillLifepaintings,thelightingbeingdepictedascomingfromtheleft.Itexploresadialoguebetweenthenaturalandthemanmadeperspectives.

5AphrasefromBakhtin,Rabelais and His World,p.301.6Bryson,N.(1990)Looking at the Overlooked, Four Essays on Still Life Painting.ReaktionBooks,London,p.77

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Caravaggio‘sasymmetricalBasket of Fruitdepictsastrawfabricbasketfilledwithanabundanceofripenedsummerfruits,whichisimperfectanddamagedinitstotality,andfullofdiseasedfoliage.Theconspicuouslyworneatenapple,withlargerandsmallerwormholes,mayrepresenttheapplewhichEveateintheGardenofEden,relatingtosinandhopeforeternallife.Theotherfruitsinthebasketareovertlyripe,includingthepock-markedpearandcrackedfigswithstriatedskins,possiblysuggestingdecay,thebrevityandtransienceofhumanlife.Alargefigleafhasaconspicuousfungalscorchlesionresemblinganthracnose(Glomerellacingulata).ThesilhouettedvineleavesmaybesymbolicofthewineofChrist’sblood,thesaviourofdeath.Someofthevineleavesaredesiccatedandwithered,appearingtobedamagedbyanorientalfruitmoth(Orthosiahibisci);asthoughsalvationisuncertain.7Thepaintingmaybeseenasareflectiononthehumancondition;theinevitabilityofdeath,andthehopeforeternallife,possiblyquestioningwhethersalvationisachievable.ThesenotionssurroundingStillLifepaintingwereimportantthroughoutthe17thcenturyStillLifegenreandremainrelevanttoContemporaryarttoday.8

Caravaggio’sBasket of Fruitteetersuncertainlyontheedgeofaledge,asthoughthewholesubjectisabouttofalldown.Hissubjecthasbeenrenderedwithunaidedtechnicalskill,astrikingeffectbeingachievedbytheabstractbackgroundinGoldleaf;everythinghasbeeneliminated,includingshadows,makingitimpossibletotellthedepthofthetable;itissetinasingleplane,andintwodimensions.Thechiaroscuroeffectinnotprevalent,asthelightingisevenwithoutextremecontrasts.Howeverthecompositionismadeupofcontrastinglightanddarktones.Inatheatricalstyle,Caravaggiorelatestobothearthlyandmysticalsubjectmatterportrayal.9

NowletusconsideracontemporaryEnglishphotographer,filmmakerandvideoartist,autobiographicalartistSamTaylor-Wood(b.1967)lifesymbolisestheacceptanceofmortalityinhervideoinstallation:Still Life,2001.Taylor-Wood’sStill LifefilmportraysastepinthedirectionofVanitas.

SamTaylor-Wood,Still Life, Acceptance of Mortality,VideoStillScreenshots,2001.

VanitasisaLatinwordmeaning“emptiness”relatestothemeaninglessnatureofearthlylifeanddepictsthetransientnatureofvanity.Inartitisastylewhichsymbolicallyrepresentsthecertaintyofdeath,

7Bullamore,D.R.BasketofFruit(Caravaggio)[online]Wikipedia.Availablefrom:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket_of_Fruit_(Caravaggio)[Accessed15thNovember2015]8Apples,PearsandPaint:HowtoMakeStillLife,(2015).Mcandle,L.Narrator:McGann.9Martin,J.R.(1977)Baroque.NewYork:Harper&RowPublishers,Inc.

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usingmotifssuchasrottenfruittosymbolisedecayanddisease,possiblyreflectingtheageingprocessandthetransienceofthehumancondition.VanitaspaintingwaspopularintheareaofNorthernEuropeparticularly16thand17thcentury‘GoldenAge’StillLifepaintingoftheNetherlands;DutchandFlemishWesternart.10

Taylor-WoodhasbeeninfluencedbyCaravaggioBasket of Fruitandotherartistswhoexploredthemesofmortalityandthepassingoftime,aswellasmomentsthatarecapturedwhichrepresenteternity.Thesetimelessissueswhichhavebeenreferencedinahistoricalcontextthroughthecenturiesarestillrelevanttoday.Still Life,acontemporaryworkofvideoart, isportrayedinaclassicalstyle,similartoa17thcenturyStilllifepainting,abeautifulpainterlycomposition.Ithasbeengivenanaccompanyingmusicsoundtrack,KeithKenniff’s“PreservationDivine”,fromhisalbumTheLastSurvivor,asthefruitdecomposesanddecaysatanacceleratedpace.11Itisadarkanddimlylitpieceofwork,withabrownlifelesscolourationschemethroughout.Thefocalpointisamassofovertlyripe,dullredandyellowfruits,placedonawickerplate,whichisseatedonawoodentablewithashadowywallinthebackground.Intheprocessofthefilm,thecolourationbecomesincreasinglydull;thefruitsfadingrapidlyandturningtobrown/greyastheybegintodecay.Towardstheendofthevideothefruitsturntomulch,mixingwiththeoverallsubject’stheme.

Thevideousestimelapsephotographytodepictthedeteriorationanddecompositionofthefruitoverits3minutes44secondlength,reflecting,againthetransienceoflifeandinevitabilityofdeath,thatmostnaturaloflife’sprocesses.HoweverTaylor-Woodalsoclaimsthathervideoisaredemptivepieceofwork,thefilmbeingonaloop,sodeathisnevermadeexplicit.Sheclaimstohaveastrongsenseofherownmortality,havingbeenthroughaseriesofillnesses,andasenseoftheageingprocessassomethinggraceful;timeseenasboththebackdroptoviolenceandthetransientframewithinwhichillnessdevelops.12

Taylor-Woodhasplacedabiropennexttotheplatteroffruit,asanintegralpartoftheStillLifecomposition,remainingstillandunharmedforthedurationofthevideo.Itraisesquestionsastowhetherthefruitisrepresentationalofthebodyandthepen,themind.Orperhapstheartistismakingacomparisonbetweennatureandmanmadeobjects,possiblyalludingtothefactthatmanmadeobjectsresistdecompositionbetterthanthoseofthenaturalworld.Thepenasadisposableobjectmaysimplyrepresentasymbolofrecyclingandlitter.Manythought-provokingquestionshavearisenasanoutcomeofTaylor-Wood’sStill Lifevideo.13

StillLifepaintingwasvirtuallynon-existentbeforethe1590sbutinNorthernEuropeare-emergenceoftheStilllife(Stilleven)occurredinthe16thcenturyreachingitsfullpotentialasanindependentgenre,10ThisentrywaspostedinArtistSpotlight,FromtheCollection,NMWAExhibitionsandtaggedRachelRuysch,SamTaylor-Johnson,stilllife,supernatural,womenandart,womenandnaturebyWomeninthearts.Bookmarkthepermalink.[online].Availablefrom:http://broadstrokes.org/2015/06/17/flowers-fruit-and-fatality[Accessed10thNovember2015]11Pascual,J.YouTube:StillLifebySamTaylor-Wood[online]Availablefromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQYSPFo7hk[Accessed15thNovember2015]12WendtS.andBarragán(Ed.)(2011)Taylor-Wood.SandWendt,S.When a painting Moves…Something Must be Rotten!,Milan:EdizioneCharta,,pp.36-40.13Pascual,J.YouTube:StillLifebySamTaylor-Wood[online]Availablefromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQYSPFo7hk[Accessed15thNovember2015]WendtS.andBarragán(Ed.)(2011)Taylor-Wood.SandWendt,S.When a painting Moves…Something Must be Rotten!,Milan:EdizioneCharta,,pp.36-40.WendtS.andBarragán(Ed.)(2011)Taylor-Wood.SandWendt,S.When a painting Moves…Something Must be Rotten!,Milan:EdizioneCharta,,pp.36-40.

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particularlyfavouredbylateNorthernRenaissancepainters.IntheNetherlands,thepopularityofStillLifepaintingsprovidedthesettingforaGoldenAge.Bythe17thcenturyDutchpainters,whoreturnedfromItaly,toanationwhichhadbecomerevolutionizedbyapoliticalandreligiousoutburst.DuringtheProtestantreformationorrevoltagainsttheCatholicChurchofRome(c1517)religiouspaintingunderwentadeclineasaniconoclasticragesweptthecountry,transformingtheculture.Catholicartwasbeingdestroyedandsecularpaintingbecamepopular.However,religiousandquasi-religiousovertoneswerebeingdepictedinpaintings.Artworkscontainingnarrativemessages,suchasVanitaspiecesandsymbolism,appealedtotheDutchmiddleclassatthattime.Inthe17thcenturyduetomaritimetrading,theNetherlandswasbecomingthewealthiestcountryonearth,andinthisuniqueDutchcultureartbecameamassmarketindustry.

SpanishBaroquerealistartistJuanSánchezCotán(1561-1627),unlikehiscontemporariesintheNetherlands,resistedtheworld’sshowiness,paintingexactlywhathesawinhiscompositions.CotánrenderedhischoiceofsubjectmatterwithinthestillkitchenpicturesorBodegónes(larderpieces),inaresolutelynaturalistictrompel’oeilsimplisticmannerandasanoutlookandexerciseinthedepictionofrenunciationintheworld.CotánwasoneofthepioneersinSpanishStillLifepainting,occupyingasimilarroletotheItalianCaravaggiowhoseresurrectionoftheStillLifeoccuredwithBasketofFruit(1599).In1602,withQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber,currentlyhousedasacentrepieceattheSanDiegoMuseumofArt.

CotánshareswithCaravaggiotheconceptofhospitality,presentinthexenia‘StillLife’paintingsofantiquity.14HeexecutedhisoilpaintingQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumberwithahighdegreeofexcellenttechnicalskill,withtheaideduseofthecameraobscurer.

JuanSánchezCotán(1602)Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber.Oiloncanvas,68.9x84.5cm.SanDiegoMuseumofArt.

ThecontentsofalarderarerepresentedintheaboveillustrationofCotán’spaintingQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber.Itisportrayedinasquarecantarero, concreteblock,coolingspacewherefoodis

14Refertofootnote6,pp.76-81.

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preserved,oftenhanginguponstrings,toallowforaircirculationandfreshnesstoprevail.Inthispaintingthedepictionofthefruitsandvegetablesbeingsuspendedonstringsgivetheimpressionof‘otherworldliness’.InhiscompositionCotánhasarrangedthe‘untouchable’quinceandacabbage[onstrings]andtheothersubjectmatterinaperfectcurve,withastrongsenseofgeometricorder,appearingtosuggestanexperimentinmathematicaltransformation,fromthebranchoftopology.15Thecompositionissetagainstadeepblackspatialbackground,evokinganatmosphereofmysteriousserenity.Renderedimmaculately,ifthefruitsandvegetablesweretobedisturbedtheywouldspinorrockinspacemotionlessly,markingtheabsenceofhumanpresence.

Cotan’sStillLife,alsoknownas‘bodegones’,maybeconceivedastheintertwiningofthecategoriesof‘megalography’,thedepictionofgreatnessintheworld,and‘rhopography’,thedepictionofsmallnessandthatwhichlacksimportance.16Thepaintingimpliesreligiousovertones;acelebrationanddepictionofthatwhichishumbleinGod’screation.Cotánpaintedsubjectmaterialregardedasleastimportantwithintheconceptofworldlyvalues;thecontentsofalarder.Thisallowseither‘descending’or‘ascending’pointsofviewtomanifest.Theworldlyvaluesarebeingpulleddownward,attentionbeingdrawntothehumble,thevaluelessbecomingvaluable,enablingtheviewertolookintothehumblemilieuandgiventhepowerstotransformthecommonplace.TheBodegónesofCotánencouragedthereductionofattractiontotheworldlyandawakenavisioninitsownpower.Cotan’ssourceofmaterialforhisStillLifepaintingoriginatesinthemonasticstance,heenteredthemonasticorderoftheCarthusians,asalaybrotheratToledo,in1603.

NowweshallconsideranothercontemporaryartistOriGersht,b.(1967)isacontemporaryLondon-basedIsraeli,fineartphotographer,filmmakerandvideoartist.Gershtexplorestherelationshipbetweenpainting,photographyandfilm,centringhisconcernsonthehistoryofart,andtheuseofmetaphors.Inturnhefocusesongeographicalplaces,metaphysicaljourneysandcontextualizedspaces.

OriGersht,Pomegranate,VideoStillScreenshots,2006.

Pomegranateisoneoftwopiecesthatwerefilmedasslow-motion,flatscreenedvideoworks,presentedattheHirshhorn’s“BlackBox”videoroom.OrganizedbycuratorKellyGordon,BlackBoxwasfirstestablishedin2005andfeaturesworkbyemergingandestablishedartists,suchasOriGersht,fromvariousnationsandcreativedisciplinesworkinginnewmedia.17PomegranateisahighdefinitionfilmforframedLCD(colour,sound)andrunsonaloopfor1minute,58seconds.ItstartsasaStillLifepainting,

15Thecomplexvolumetricdisplayofobjectsin’sCotánpaintingisdiscussedbyMartinSSoriain‘SanchezCotán’sQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber’ Art Quartely, VIII(1945),pp.311-18.16Refertofootnote6,p.61.17O’Sullivan,M.TheWashingtonPost:OriGershtWorkattheHirshhornCentreonHumanMortality[online].Availablefrom:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010100725.html[Accessed17thNovember2015]

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reflectingastaticimage,butthefilmbecomesamovingimage,recordedindigitalvideoandmakingaconstanttransitionbetweenstillnessandmovement.

Gershtwasborninthebeautiful,andhistoriccountrysidesurroundingTelAvivjustbeforetheSix-DayWarbrokeout,andthesoundofsirenspermeatedhisyouth.TheYomKippurWar,in1973andtwofurtherwarsfollowed,includingtheLebanonWarin1982andtheIntifadain1987-93.GershtmovedtoLondonin1988,wherehenowworksasanartist.18Hisworkisfocusedontheintersectionoftranscendentbeautyandviolenthorror,asthoughcomingtotermswithbothhighlydifficultandpersonalsubjectmatter.WiththehelpofnewtechnologiesGersht’sphotographicvideoPomegranateactsasaconduitbetweenpastandpresent.

InasimilarveintoCotán’spainting, Quince, Cabbage,Melon and Cucumber,Gershtcreatesacompositionwithadeepblackbackgroundinasquareframedspace.Placedintheforegroundareasquashandacucumber,bothofwhichcastdarkshadowsonthesill.Above,isaripepomegranate,asareplacementoftheoriginalquinceofthesourcepainting,andacabbage,withasimilarappearancetoCotán’sQuince and Cabbage,andarebothsuspended,danglingonstrings.Pomegranate(2006)isstyledonJuanSánchezCotán,Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber(1602).OnfirstglanceonemayfeeloneisobservingCotán’ssereneStillLifepainting,asGersht’svideoisbothsimilarlypainterlyandatmosphericaswellasbeingintrinsicallyeerie.

Just13secondsintothevideo,inslowmotion,abulletfliesacrossthescreenslicingthroughthePomegranatewhichspraysfleshandhundredsofblood-redseedsintotheairandshowersthevegetables,withinthecomposition,asthefilmrealizesthedestructivepotentialofitstitle.Thewordfor“pomegranate”islinkedlinguistically,throughitsform,toexplosives;inHebrewthewordfor“Pomegranate”wheninterpretedisthesameas“grenade”.ThisimageincorporatesmemoriesfromGersht’schildhoodinTelAviv,withanexplosiveclimax,acknowledgingtheviolenceintheworld.However,thePomegranateisalsoasymbolicfoodreferencedintheBible,Jewishlaw,andNearEasternculture,alludingtocreativeforcesandfertility,andisaJewishsymbolofre-creationandreproduction.19

ThefilmPomegranateisaworkreflectinguponhumanmortality,servingasamemento mori,tothetransienceoffleetinglifeandtheinevitabilityofdeath.ItisanotherVanitaspainting,inwhichthefruitsandvegetablesrepresentedreflecttheimpermanenceofourownlives.Gersht’suseofrepetitionandcircularityismadeexplicitinPomegranatewiththefilmbeingpresentedandre-presentedonaloop,whichalludestotherepeatingcyclesofhistory.Itsrepetitioncreatesaneffectofendlessrecurrentviolence,repeatingtheprocessoflossandannihilation,whichinturnisresponsibleforthecreationandre-creationofgreatbeauty.20

Towardsthelatterendofthestilllifegenrepopularityof17thcenturyNetherlands,theallegoricalaptterm,pronkstilleven“banquet-pieces”or“breakfast”stilllife(stilllifeofostentation)becamepopularinthemercantilecityofHaarlem.Thesestilllifepaintingswereproducedbymanyartists,includingJanDavidszdeHeem,WillemKalfandPieterClaesz.21Variousfoodstuffs,suchaslobster,

18Sheets,H.M.TheNewYorkTimes:Beauty,TenderandFleeting,AdidHistory’sIre[online]Art&Design.Availablefrom:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/arts/design/ori-gersht-history-repeating-at-museum-of-fine-arts-in-boston.html?_r=1[Accessed17thNovember2015]19Miner,A.(2009)Ori Gersht: History Repeating.PrintedandboundinItaly,pp211-213.20Ibid.(Refertofootnote18),PP.211-213.20Ibid.(Refertofootnote6),p.123.

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crayfishandtropicalfruitswerelaidonwoodentabletops,alongwithdecorativeglasswareandpreciousmetal,sometimescollectablessuchasshells,vessels,andwatches.Aswellasacelebrationofwealth,thepopularinclusionofthelobstermotif,banquetpaintingsweremetaphoricaloftransience,withnaturalassociationsofthefactthatfoodbecomestainted,anddrinksstale.Eventhelemon,alsousedasaregularmotif,althoughappearingbeautiful,hasasourtaste.Itemsdepictedinthesestilllifepaintingswereexclusivelyluxuriousaswellasbeingextraordinaryinnature,andwerenottypicalfoodstuffsatthattime,forexamplevesselsofsilver,tropicalfruit,lobsterandcrayfish.Alloftheseitemsdisplayedin17thcenturybanquet-pieceswereimportedtotheNetherlandsandthedepictionrepresentedthecomingtogetheroftheworld’sluxuries.

JanDavidsz.DeHeem(late1640’s)Still Life with a Lobster.Oiloncanvas,64x85cm.ToledoMeseumofArt,Ohio.

Inhis Still Life with a LobsterDeHeemincludesthemotifofleavesandtendrils,bymeansofwhichheindicatestherelationshipbetweentheabundanceofthetableandthatofnature,perhapsseenassymbolicofanewpastoralreturn,onlyavailabletothewealthiestofsociety.22Thenaturalworldhasnowre-appeared,withtheinclusionofgrapes,plums,peachesandlobster,thusmovingawayfromthesanctumofessentiallyman-madeabundance.SimilartotheantiquexeniaStillLifepaintingsthesefoodrequiredlittlepreparation,thelobsterthoughcookedisstillintact.Lobsterandcrayfishwerenotnormalfoodstuffsin17thcenturyNetherlandsandcitrusfruitswerealsoimported.Thesebanquet-piecesofHeem’sreflectvariousinfluences,forexampletheartcollector,oceanictradingandcapitalinvestment.

Asthegenredeveloped,thebanquet-piecesbydeStommeandHedabecamemoredisordered,barbarousanddestructive.Thewealthwithinthebanquet-piecesbegantobeportrayedaschaosorthecorruptinginfluenceofacquisitionandasareminderofmortality,thevanitasandtransienceofhumanlifeandthefutilityofmaterialpossessions.Platesareshownastiltingandgobletsareoverturned,thestilllifegenredrawingattentiontothefactthatallwillfadeandpass.Hollandwasavolatilenationatthetime,fortunesweremadeandlost,richeswerealwaysthreatenedandstilllifepaintingexplicitlymirroredthistrait.Thesepaintingsarepreoccupiedwithhigherthings,andveryskilfullyexecuted;theplayoflightonthesurfacesdistinguishesglassfrommetal,clothfromfoodstuffs.Thelemonforexample

22Ibid.(Refertofootnote6),p.124.

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isoneofthemostfavouredofDutchmotifs;itsrepresentationischaracteristically,peeledandunwoundtorevealtorevealaglisteninginterior.23

The17thcenturyinHollandcelebratedaGoldenAgeofStilllifepainting,butinthe18thcenturyitsufferedamorecomplicatedfate.In1648theRoyalCommissionacademiciansgoverningtherulesofartatMuseeduLouvre,galleriesdesantiques,inParis,pronouncedupontherelativestandingofthevariousgenresofart.Thefigurepaintingwasconsideredthehighestformofart,andtheacademictraditionofpaintingplacedStillLifeatthebottom.StillLifepainterswerenottakenseriouslyatthattime.24

Returningnowtothepresent,letusconsiderEnglishartist,MatCollishaw(b.1966).Collishawusesavisuallanguage,withadiverseuseofmediatoexplorethedarkerimagination.Hisworkdepictscaptivatingyetrepulsive,recognizableandoutrageous,lyricalandmorbid,aspectofcontemporaryart.

CollishawcreatedaphotographicStillLifeseriesrestatinganumberofimagesentitled‘TheLastMealonDeathRow’.Theseriesdepictsre-creationsofmealsthatprisonersatebeforetheywereexecuted.Thesephotographsarerepresentedinthestyleofthe17thcenturyBaroqueFlemishmastersofStillLifepainting,portrayingchosenmealsasVanitas StillLife.Collishawquotes:“Iremadethemealsinamannerusuallyforreflectingontheaccumulationofworldlygoods,vanityandmortality”.Healludestotheconceptofthefutilityofpleasure,transienceoflife,themeaninglessnessofworldlymaterialismandidlepursuits,andthecertaintyofdeath.Thesephotographsareclassically,aestheticallypleasing,withundertonesoftheimminenceofdeath,characteristicofCollishaw’soeuvre.Collishawchosetoportrayprisoners’lastmealsmainlyfromthestateofTexas,whichholdthemostexecutions,andfrom1976onwards.Thispracticeofhonouringinmates’choiceofalastmealwasdiscontinuedinSeptember2011,duetothestatelegislator’soutcryagainsttheexcessivenessofsomeofthemorerecentmeals.25

Someoftheprisonerschosemealsrelatingtotheirchildhood.DobieGillisWilliamswhowasexecutedbylethalinjectioninLouisianaonJanuary8,1999forthemurderofonevictim,choseice-creamforhislastmeal.WhereasJonathanNobles,whowasexecutedbylethalinjectioninTexasonOctober7,1988forthemurderoftwovictims,chosetheEucharisticbreadandwineforhislastmeal.AllenLeeDavis,54wasexecutedbyelectrocutiononJuly8,1999,attheFloridaStatePrisonnearStarke,Florida.AccordingtoMurderpedia,FloridaAllenLeeDaviswasamurdererof3victims.26TheLast MealsevoketheChristianitythatinfluencedColishaw’schildhood:TheLastSupper.DavischoseabanquetthatCollishawreassembledandphotographedasavanitasStilllife,ashislastmeal.Itconsistedofapinklobsterandshrimps,ahunkofbreadandaglassofrootbeer.

23Alpers,S.TheArtofDescribingDutchArtintheSeventeenthCenturyTheUniversityofChicagoPress,p.91.24Ibid.(Refertofootnote7).25Tschida,A.Art&Culture:MatCollishawandtheArtofFinalityatMiamisBassMuseumofArt[online].Availablefrom:http://www.miami.com/mat-collishaw-and-art-finality-miami-s-bass-museum-art-article[Accessed30thNovember2015]25Blanco,J.I.Murderpedia:AllenLeeDavis[online].Availablefrom:http://murderpedia.org/mal.D/d1/davis-allen-lee.htm[Accessed30thNovember2015]

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MatCollishaw(2012)Last Meal on Death Row – Allen Lee Davis,54.Digitalprintongoatsskin,customframing,69.4x58cm.

So,toretracethemainstagesofourjourneywebeganwiththeearliesthospitalityxeniaStillLifeartwhichcelebratedandmademanifesttheabundanceofnatureandtheprovisionstobesharedequallybetweenguestandstranger.The2000yearoldartwasrediscoveredthroughexcavationinthemid-18thcentury,alongwithdiscoveriesofGreekmosaicsandEgyptianstilllifeartfoundintombs.

StillLifewasresurrectedbyCaravaggiowithhisBasket of Fruitin1599,paintedinthestyleofBaroqueRealism.Allofthefruitsinthispaintingaredepictedasimperfect,thepaintingrepresentingdecayandsymbolizingthebrevityandtransienceofhumanlifeandtheinevitabilityofdeath.

Vanitaspaintingbecameapopularchoiceofsubjectmatterinthegoldenageof16thand17thcenturyNorthernEuropeanasDutchpainterstouredItalyandwereinspiredbytheItalianSchoolofArt.

StillLifepaintingspreadtoSpain,CotánhavingresurrectedthegenrewithhispaintingQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber,in1602,thesubjectmatterofwhichreflectsthehumblebutabundantaspectsofGod’screationasperceivedfromCotán’smonasticstance.

Banquet-pieceslaterbecametheheightofpopularityintheNetherlands,functioningasbothmetaphorsoftransienceandacelebrationofwealth,beingcomposedfromanabundanceofworldlygoods.Thebanquet-piecesbecamemoredisorderlyasthegenredeveloped,comingtosymbolisethetransienceofbothmanmadeandnaturalsubjects.

ThethreecontemporaryartistsexploredhereillustratetherelevanceofvanitasStillLifetoday,usingtechniquessuchasphotographyandvideobutreferencingthestyleof16thand17thcenturyNorthernRenaissanceWesternEuropeanvanitasart.

Overall,everyStillLifecanbeseenasavanitaspaintingreflectingdeathanddegradation.SomeStillLifepaintingsportrayissuessurroundingmortality,suchasthetransientfleetingnatureofmaterialwealth,

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andthefactthatmanmadematerialismbecomestarnished,andwillfadewiththepassingoftime,decayinglikenatureandfoodstuffs.

IntermsofartisticmeritthegenreofStillLifehasfallenfromfavour,sometimesseen,possiblyunfairly,asthelowestandbaselevelpaintinggenre.

Onthisjourneywehavetraced,theevershiftingbackgroundofsocialandreligiouscontext,whichmadetheoutwardlystaticnatureofthestillLifetakeonadynamicqualitythatbeliessurfaceappearances.Thetern‘StillLife’,appropriatethoughitistothesubjectmatter,canneverbesaidtoapplytotheevolutionofthegenreitself.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Alpers,S.TheArtofDescribingDutchArtintheSeventeenthCenturyTheUniversityofChicagoPress.AphrasefromBakhtin,Rabelais and His World.Apples,PearsandPaint:HowtoMakeaStillLife.(2015).Mcandle,L.Narrator:McGann.Blanco,J.I.Murderpedia:AllenLeeDavis[online].Availablefrom:http://murderpedia.org/mal.D/d1/davis-allen-lee.htm[Accessed30thNovember2015].Bookmarkthepermalink.[online].Availablefrom:http://broadstrokes.org/2015/06/17/flowers-fruit-and-fatality[Accessed10thNovember2015].Bryson,N.(1990)Looking at the Overlooked, Four Essays on Still Life Painting.ReaktionBooks,London.Bullamore,D.R.BasketofFruit(Caravaggio)[online]Wikipedia.Availablefrom:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket_of_Fruit_(Caravaggio)[Accessed15thNovember2015].DiscussiononPompeianpainting;RichardBrillianVisualNarratives:StorytellinginEtruscanandRomanArt(Ithaca,NewYork:CornellUP,1984.O’Sullivan,M.TheWashingtonPost:OriGershtWorkattheHirshhornCentreonHumanMortality[online].Availablefrom:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010100725.html[Accessed17thNovember2015].Pascual,J.YouTube:StillLifebySamTaylor-Wood[online]Availablefromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQYSPFo7hk[Accessed15thNovember2015].Martin,J.R.(1977)Baroque.NewYork:Harper&RowPublishers,Inc.Miner,A.(2009)Ori Gersht: History Repeating.PrintedandboundinItaly.Sheets,H.M.TheNewYorkTimes:Beauty,TenderandFleeting,AdidHistory’sIre[online]Art&Design.Availablefrom:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/arts/design/ori-gersht-history-repeating-at-museum-of-fine-arts-in-boston.html?_r=1[Accessed17thNovember2015].Thecomplexvolumetricdisplayofobjectsin’sCotánpaintingisdiscussedbyMartinSSoriain‘SanchezCotán’sQuince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber’ Art Quartely, VIII(1945).Therediscoveryofthelost‘StillLife’XeniaasaninfluenceofthelaterWesternStillLifegenrewasarguedbyCharlesSterlingin Still Life Painting From Antiquity to the Twentieth CenturybutwaschallengedfromErnstGombrichinMeditations on a Hobby Horse and other Essays on the Theory of Art(London:Phaidon,1963).ThisentrywaspostedinArtistSpotlight,FromtheCollection,NMWAExhibitionsandtaggedRachelRuysch,SamTaylor-Johnson,stilllife,supernatural,womenandart,womenandnaturebyWomeninthearts.Tschida,A.Art&Culture:MatCollishawandtheArtofFinalityatMiamisBassMuseumofArt[online].Availablefrom:http://www.miami.com/mat-collishaw-and-art-finality-miami-s-bass-museum-art-article[Accessed30thNovember2015].Wallace-Hadrill,A.BBCNews:AncientHistory,Pompeii:PortentsofDisaster[online].Availablefrom:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_portents[Accessed10thNovember2015].WendtS.andBarragán(Ed.)(2011)Taylor-Wood.SandWendt,S.When a painting Moves…Something Must be Rotten!,Milan:EdizioneCharta.

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Copyright Sarah F Janavicius

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Copyright Sarah F Janavicius