Eugene Berman - Two Jellyfish on the Beach

The "Still Life" genre emerged in the early 17th century. It consists of the depiction of compositions of inanimate subjects, most often flowers or fruit. While initially it was an opportunity for painters to experiment with a naturalistic or photographic reproduction of reality, with contemporary art the "Still Life" also became a way of interpreting reality. Indeed, as happened, for example, in the Cubist avant-garde or in Giorgio Morandi, the in-depth exploration of objects was aimed at a conceptual representation, taken beyond the mere sensory element. In the present work, the artist proposes the subject of a still life with fish, a composition in which, instead of fruit, marine fauna predominates, often placed on the seashore. A painter famous for executing this type of subject was, for example, Filippo De Pisis.

Eugen Berman's entire artistic research has moved within the framework of what critics have defined as a "return to origins," that is, a reaction to the early twentieth-century avant-garde through the use of clear and objective figuration. For this reason, Berman's style overlaps with influences associated with Magic Realism, Metaphysical Art, and even hints of Surrealism, as is evident in this marine still life. Compared to Berman's easel work, this lithograph features a more concise language, employing a quick graphic line and light washes of color.

Eugen Berman, St. Petersburg 1899 – Rome 1974. A highly popular artist, Berman explored various artistic styles, from Neo-Baroque to Neo-Romantic to Surrealism, without being restricted by them. He was influenced by the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico and Pablo Picasso, particularly his Blue and Rose periods. Among his most notable works are Nike (1943, Washington, Hirshhorn Museum) and The Living and the Dead (1949, San Francisco, Fine Arts Museum). The melancholic and surreal tone that characterizes his paintings is also found in the theatrical sets he created for the Ballet Russe in Monte Carlo and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

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