Still Life

André Derain, 1913

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Artist: André Derain (French, 1880–1954)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 46.5 × 55 cm
Museum: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
Rights: Public Domain Mark

The cup and the bread. Even though the third element – the pitcher – is not part of the Last Supper, it is hard not to think of Jesus’ final meal when regarding this denuded, unprepossessing painting. Any sense of the material qualities of the objects has virtually disappeared. Shadows and volume are gone, the contours are greatly reduced, and the colours faint. All that is left is the ghost-like appearance of these objects in an indefinable space. The absent and blurred qualities conjure up a unique sense of mystery in the painting and help communicate a spiritual dimension; something that became increasingly important for Derain after 1910.