Still Life with Rayfish
Chaïm Soutine · 1924
Why it's great
A large rayfish hangs against a dark background with a bowl and bottles, painted with wild, swirling strokes. Soutine was inspired by famous Dutch still lifes of fish and meat but gave them a more emotional twist. The fish seems to swim in the air. It's among his famous still lifes.
Where to see it
📍 Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York City, United States
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
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Chaïm Soutine was born into a poor Jewish family in a small village in what is now Belarus. He moved to Paris in 1913, where he lived and painted in a crowded artists' colony and became close friends with Modigliani. His wild, twisting paintings of waiters, pastry cooks and landscapes made him famous. He died in Paris in 1943, during the German occupation.
