Skip to Main Content

Still Life

1930
(French, 1905–1977)
France, 20th century
gelatin silver print
Image: 22.4 x 16.5 cm (8 13/16 x 6 1/2 in.); Paper: 23.4 x 27 cm (9 3/16 x 10 5/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2007.103
© Ministère de la Culture / Médiathèque du Patrimoine, Dist. RMN
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Description

A revolver, a pickaxe, dice, a bottle of rum, two glasses—one knocked over—suggest a tragic conflict, although we will never know. The newspaper is turned to the stock page, reminding us that 1930 was the beginning of the Great Depression. The stone sink surrounded by the dishes and serving bowls suggests the clean up from a hearty meal in rustic quarters, while the dirty sink with beakers and wash basin calls to mind the tools of the darkroom. Could the latter image be a self-portrait in the form of a still life? Did the photographer encounter this still life, or did he stage it?
Still Life

Still Life

1930

Roger Parry

(French, 1905–1977)
France, 20th century

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.