Still Life With Porcelain And Black Grapes Signed By Artist Sie G, 1997

This painting is exceptional in both technique and execution, and pays tribute to one of the great masters of the Dutch Golden Age, Willmen Kalf (1619-1993).The artist Sie G, usually known for his contemporary works in the style of hyperrealism, was inspired by the Dutch painters 1660 Still Life with Aquamanile, Fruit and Nautilus Cup (see last photo).His technical skill in this genre painting is breathtakingly precise, from the cracks in the enamel and the reflections on the porcelain, the ridged, pearly surface of the nautilus conch shell, the folds and texture of the Persian carpet, to the bloom on the black grape cluster, the peeled rind of the lemon and the shiny seeds of the pomegranate; everything is there to remind us of the fragility of the elements.Sie G has also added depth to this work, using a dark background against which a half-lit cassolette stands out in the background, and making use of the light coming from the left to reflect on the elements of this composition.This painting is a true technical feat and a demonstration of the virtuosity of painter Sie G, a trained restorer who has worked with the most prestigious European museums and knows how to handle the old skills of the great masters. The painting is signed in the lower left-hand corner with the artists pseudonym Sie G, and on the back he has inscribed the title of the painting and signed it with his real name Gerasimov.The genre of the still life, inherited from Dutch painting in the 16th and 17th centuries, endures to this day, expressing an aesthetic quest as well as a spiritual or moral reflection that continues to move and enthrall lovers and collectors of ancient and contemporary art.DimensionsWith frameHeight 110 cmWidth 90 cmWithout frameHeight 90 cmWidth 70 cm