An evocative contemporary still-life painting by Argentine artist Nicolás Di Gesu, exploring themes of mortality, fragility and the relationship between life and nature. The composition depicts a lifeless bird resting against an understated, warm earth-toned background. Its body and partially spread wings are rendered with expressive, loose brushwork, capturing the delicate structure of its feathers and the vulnerability of its form. Isolated against the otherwise empty surface, the bird becomes the sole focus of the painting, creating a striking sense of stillness and contemplation. Through this seemingly simple subject, Di Gesu revisits the longstanding tradition of Vanitas and memento mori painting, in which representations of dead animals and other natural elements serve as reminders of the transience of life. Rather than relying on elaborate symbolism, the artist allows the physical presence of the bird to carry the emotional weight of the composition. Executed in oil on linen canvas, the work is characterised by its muted earthy palette, subtle tonal contrasts and expressive handling of paint. The simplicity of the setting draws attention to the subject itself, giving the painting an intimate and almost meditative quality. Drawing on the visual language of classical still-life painting while approaching it through a contemporary figurative sensibility, Di Gesu invites the viewer to pause and consider the fragility of existence and the inevitability of death. A compelling work for collectors of contemporary still-life painting, figurative art, Vanitas and symbolic painting. Artist: Nicolás Di Gesu (Argentina, contemporary) Title: Still with Bird Technique: Oil on linen canvas Dimensions: 24 × 19 cm - Nicolás Di Gesu Nicolás Di Gesu is an Argentine contemporary figurative painter whose work explores the tension between the human instinct for life and the inevitability of death. Based in Madrid, his practice is concerned with the fragile boundaries between existence, vulnerability and the natural order of things. His artistic formation began in Buenos Aires, where he studied drawing and painting at the atelier of Ariel Gulluni. He later continued his training in Madrid at Atelier Madrid, under the guidance of Arantzazu Martínez and Mikel Olazábal, before becoming an apprentice and assistant to the Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum. Working primarily in oil, Di Gesu constructs compositions around the human figure, often drawing from found photographs, images and anecdotes that become the starting points for imagined scenes. His paintings inhabit a suspended moment between what has happened and what is yet to come. Figures emerge within landscapes, sometimes exposed to death, danger or abandonment, yet the scenes remain strangely still, withholding explanation or judgement. Rather than treating these subjects as exceptional or unsettling departures from everyday life, Di Gesu approaches them as fundamental aspects of human existence. His attention is drawn to the emotions and images that people tend to conceal, and to the uncomfortable recognition that fragility and mortality are inseparable from the experience of being alive. A sustained engagement with the paintings of the Prado has informed his understanding of light, shadow and the physical and psychological weight of the human figure. This dialogue with the tradition of figurative painting is evident in his considered use of atmosphere and composition, while his subject matter remains distinctly personal. Di Gesu’s paintings ask for an attentive gaze. They do not offer easy narratives or conclusions, but create a space in which the viewer must pause, observe and confront what might otherwise remain unseen. Havisham & Co. Presented by Havisham & Co., representing artists whose practices preserve and reinterpret the language of European painting. Instagram: @havishamandco www.havishamandco.com