ThingsA History of Still Life

Exhibition overview

The exhibition Things, authored by Laurence Bertrand Dorléac, proposes a new take on what was long seen as a minor genre, whose name – ‘still life’ – is intriguing in itself.

Depictions of things, which date back to prehistoric times, are a wonderful window into history. Artists were the first to take things seriously by recognising their presence, imbuing them with life, glorifying their forms and meanings, their power and charm. They captured the ability of objects to fire our imagination – to make us believe, doubt, dream or act.

The exhibition revisits the still-life genre from the perspective of the ongoing dialogue between past and present artists. It sheds new light on our attachment to material things, while covering the history of art from prehistoric axes to Chardin, Manet and the readymades of Marcel Duchamp.

Organised by:

Laurence Bertrand Dorléac, art historian, with the collaboration of Thibault Boulvain and Dimitri Salmon.

Acknowledgements

The exhibition and catalogue are generously supported by the Fondation Etrillard.

With the exceptional support of the Musée d’Orsay.