Still Life 1930

Konstantinos Parthenis made this *Still Life* painting, using oil on canvas, at an unknown date. It’s a subdued composition, mostly pale blues and yellows, that feels very quiet and still. I can imagine Parthenis carefully building the forms and objects through layers of translucent paint. He must have wanted to create a serene atmosphere. It feels so personal, like a scene from his own kitchen, where the light is dim and the forms of objects begin to merge. There are a few darker blue strokes in the pitcher. That one specific gesture gives form to the whole composition. It reminds me of other still life painters like Giorgio Morandi, who also found beauty in the simplest of objects. This reminds me how artists constantly find inspiration from one another. Every mark, every color choice is a continuation of a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas. It’s a conversation that we, as viewers, are invited to join.