A traditional and economical restaurant
Bodegón is the augmentative of bodega . The term is used to refer to a tavern : a popular venue where food and drinks are offered.
A gastronomic space
The Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), in its dictionary, indicates that a still life can also be a space that is usually underground. In it, diners enjoy different types of food.
The idea of bodegón is usually used in Argentina to specifically name a gastronomic establishment whose menu is made up of traditional dishes with affordable prices . These places do not stand out for their sophistication or elegance, but their main attraction is the quality of the food .
These still lifes are characteristic of the City of Buenos Aires . They generally offer a classic menu, with recipes with many decades of history . Milanese , omelettes , omelettes and stews are a must in these types of places.
in the painting
Another use of the still life concept is in the field of art . A still life is a pictorial work that presents domestic elements and vegetables , fruits , meats , plants , etc. By extension, the genre characterized by these compositions is called still life.
Also referred to as still life (since it shows lifeless animals and inanimate things), the still life usually conveys well-being and peace. This is achieved thanks to the type of light, colors and design.
For example, the objects in a still life are not located in a room with neon lights, nor on the top of a snowy mountain; On the contrary, the light tends to be dim and warm, and the environment, cozy.
Although there are very famous paintings that fall into this group, the still life is usually the first type of work that students paint. This is because their main element is usually fruits and vegetables, objects whose underlying geometric shapes are especially evident, much more so than those of a human being or an animal.
Still life is a good starting point to master both drawing and painting , using various types of pencils and brushes, in addition to the materials with which it is painted. Since the complexity of the objects is not considerable, the student can put much of his or her attention on the technique, without fear of failing to reproduce the scene.
History of the still life
Still lifes achieved great popularity starting in the 17th century , although their origins are much more remote, since this type of artistic manifestation was born in the times of ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire . In some cases, still lifes also include symbolism through the objects they depict.
Still life as a synonym for "still life"
In the case of Egypt, the still life was used to decorate the tombs inside. This is related to the belief that everyday objects, such as food, could be transferred to the afterlife to accompany the deceased, who could continue using them as on earth. In ancient Greece, paintings of this type were also made with a skill worthy of admiration, particularly for the representation of animals, jugs and objects of daily life.
Those that come from ancient Rome, on the other hand, have a lower level of complexity in terms of their decorations, although their perspective is realistic. They are found in wall paintings and mosaics. One of the best known shows a glass bowl full of fruits, among other objects, and dates from the first half of the 1st century, in Pompeii. Other examples of Roman still lifes come from the Villa Boscoreale and the city of Herculaneum.