Of all the genres of painting, Still-life is the most understated. In art history, still life painting represented a key step in the training of young artists, for achieving perspective, rendering and use of color and light.
Still life as a genre, apart from the stylistic aspects and the prevailing trends of the time, often hides deep symbolism. The objects depicted represent concepts, ideals, emotions, and metaphorical messages.
An example is the “vanitas" type works, which were particularly fashionable in the 17th century. Symbolizing the transience of life, they often depicted rotting fruit, extinguished candles or human skulls. These were called Memento Mori, a Latin phrase meaning "Remember you will die," and were a reminder of the futility of life and the certainty of death for all mortals. Still-life paintings are a meeting point for opposing forces: the partial and the whole, the ephemeral and the eternal, the sacred and the profane. The simplicity of the subject matter and the representation of everyday objects invites the viewer to slow his/her gaze, experiencing an observational experience that tends to be forgotten today by the breakneck speed of image consumption in various media - often simultaneously
In this thematic exhibition, you will find Still Lifes from museum and archival collections. Etchings, oil paintings, sketches, and watercolors cover a period of about 400 years, from 16th century Italian School from the National Gallery collection to contemporary works, covering stylistically most art historical periods of modern Greek art- from Academic Realism to the different manifestations of modernity in Greece.
Offering an antidote to contemporary vertigo caused by incessant algorithmic internet scrolling, the exhibition invites you to pause, slow your gaze, and reflect on the reality that lies in front of you.
The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
