

Do you think these two artworks
have anything in common?
Let's investigate.
Describing what we see
can be a useful place to start.
Each of these artworks
has either natural things
like fruits and flowers,
or man made objects arranged together
on a flat surface.
This makes them
both still lifes.
Artists have been making still
lifes for thousands of years
because they offer
an opportunity to reflect
on the objects
that surround us in daily life.
Now, let's spend time
with each artwork
so we can learn more about them.


This is a painting known
as "Fruit Piece"
made by Jan van Huysum in 1722.
We can see a variety of fruits
and flowers arranged together
in an outdoor setting.
There are many organic
shapes throughout,
in the grapes, nectarines,
flowers, and more.
What shapes can you identify?
There are a wide variety of colors,
also known as hues.
There are secondary
and intermediate colors,
which are different combinations
of the primary colors;
red, yellow, and blue.
The colors are
also low intensity,
meaning they are not
extremely bright.
How many colors
can you identify?


This is a photograph
known as "Still Life"
made by Man Ray in 1933.
The composition of this
artwork indicates to us
that it is considered a still life.
But there are no flowers!
Instead there are hands,
faces, and rounded shapes.
What other objects
can you identify?
The colors are eye catching.
The primary colors red, blue,
and yellow are featured.
Overall, the colors
are high in intensity,
meaning they are very bright.
There are also many distinct
lines and hard edges,
as seen in these
geometric shapes.


Now that we have
described these artworks,
let's consider what
they have in common.
Both use repetition and variety
of elements to make the picture
seem active and unified.


In what ways are these artworks
different from one another?
The shapes in "Fruit Piece" are
more organic than the geometric
shapes in "Still Life."
The colors are complimentary and
low intensity in "Fruit Piece,"
and primary and high
intensity in "Still Life."
Now, let's share our
impressions of the artworks.
It's like a test
question that you always
get right, because it's
about your opinion.
It may help to have some
background information
on the artists so you can better
reflect on potential meanings
of their work.


Jan van Huysum, like
others still life painters
of his time, painted
arrangements of natural objects
in celebration of the beauty
and abundance of life.
Van Huysum developed
his own special process
of building up layers
of color in order
to create these realistic
looking fruits and flowers.


Man Ray was really
interested in making things
that were new and different.
This photograph refers to
the traditional still life
paintings that artists
like van Huysum made.
The different choices
in subject matter,
like Man Ray including his
own sculpture and photograph,
draw attention to
the fact that he
was having fun with tradition.
So if you were going
to make a still life,
what would you put in it?


