The article explores the enduring relevance of still life and vanitas in contemporary art, tracing their evolution from the biblical proclamation "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity" through modern masters like Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Giorgio Morandi to contemporary practitioners such as Claudio Parmiggiani. It highlights how artists continue to use everyday objects—compotes, skulls, pitchers, apples—as vehicles for formal experimentation and philosophical reflection, with still life serving as a minimalist device that allows infinite plastic research.
This matters because the article positions still life and vanitas as foundational genres of 20th-century modernism and ongoing contemporary practice, challenging the notion that they are outdated. By featuring insights from Cécile Debray, president of the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and examining the work of key historical and contemporary figures, the piece underscores how the genre's simplicity enables profound explorations of presence, absence, memory, and the relationship between artist and object—making it a vital lens for understanding art's evolution.