Artwork
Still life with a bottle
Still life with a bottle is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Zygmunt Waliszewski. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Zygmunt Waliszewski’s 1916 oil painting titled *Still life with a bottle* presents a modest tabletop arrangement rendered in a restrained palette. The composition features a green‑tinted box, a tall bottle bearing a red label, a white plate supporting a lemon and an apple, and a plain, lightly textured wall behind. The work is part of the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts everyday objects—a possible loaf of bread, a bottle, fruit—arranged to explore the interplay of form and light. By focusing on simple, recognizable items, Waliszewski invites contemplation of ordinary materiality, suggesting a quiet observation of domestic space rather than narrative symbolism.
Technique & Style
Waliszewski employs a loose, rapid brushstroke, allowing thick applications of paint to emerge in selective areas. The overall color scheme remains muted, with the lemon and apple providing the only vivid accents. This approach emphasizes shape and tonal contrast over meticulous detail, aligning the work with early‑twentieth‑century explorations of texture and surface.
History & Provenance
Created during the final year of World War I, the painting entered the National Museum in Warsaw’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing Polish modernist painting of the early 1900s.
Artist & collection
