A Timeless Tradition

Heavily influenced by the old Dutch masters, Carlo Russo works in what he calls the traditional style of still life painting.

Whereas “contemporary” still life works might depict ordinary, modern objects in a bright palette, Russo portrays timeless subject matter—florals, objects, surfaces—that could have existed hundreds of years ago. 

“Traditional” also refers to his aesthetic and method of painting. Against muted backgrounds, he designs his floral compositions on the canvas as opposed to making an arrangement and then painting what he sees before him.

Once best known for his landscapes and figurative work, Russo tackled florals about a decade ago to overcome what he perceived as a weak area in his skill set. At a certain point he grew comfortable creating them in a painterly fashion but felt it wasn’t consistent with the style of his other work. After deciding to hone in on the detail of the flower, the next challenge was arranging them in the Dutch style of the 16th and 17th centuries. That’s not to say that Russo doesn’t

paint from real life. He plucked the flower in Skull and Tulip directly from his garden. But his larger floral bouquets require a different technique.