Still Life at Night

Maria Anto

  • type of object: painting
  • date: 1979
  • material/technique: oil on canvas
  • dimensions: 50 x 69 cm
  • inventory No.: M-4

The artist combines two classic painting genres (still life and nocturne) in one picture, emphasising this gesture with the title of the painting. A still life composed of jugs and clay vessels on a table is in the foreground. They are accompanied by an object from another ‘order’ — a shell, the smallest of all the objects, placed in the lower left corner of the painting. The composition is unevenly lit from the front, resulting in reflections in the glazed surface of the jugs and mugs. At the same time, light also comes from the back, as evidenced by the shadows cast by the objects. The dishes may have been left out after a prior feast or another social meeting. Equally important is the background of the painting — the landscape accompanying this unusual scene. The artist depicts the liminal moment between day and night with a dramatic composition of dark clouds, light peeking out from behind them. The landscape element are the trees, shrouded in darkness, and the waves of the rough sea with glints of light. The masterfully composed scene, painted using contrasts and compositional virtuosity, is enigmatic in its expression, as if we were dealing with a drama that has just happened or is about to play out.



Michał Jachuła



translated by Paulina Bożek


Image published as part of the Operational Programme Digital Poland: Open Zachęta financed by European Funds
POPC

Other works by artist in the Zachęta collection

  • Zdjęcie pracy The Return
    The ReturnMaria Anto1967
  • Zdjęcie pracy Evening Walk
    Evening WalkMaria Anto1972
  • Zdjęcie pracy Białowieża After a Year
    Białowieża After a YearMaria Anto1974
  • Zdjęcie pracy The Winter Landscape
    The Winter LandscapeMaria Anto1980

Other works from this category

  • Zdjęcie pracy Salopa
    SalopaTadeusz Brzozowski1984
  • Zdjęcie pracy Changable reflexes 3
    Changable reflexes 3Adam Marczyński1974
  • Zdjęcie pracy Untitled
    Untitled Andrzej Bielawski1998
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