During a trip to Europe following his graduation from high school, a young David Ligare boldly walked up to the home of artist Salvador Dalí in Port Lligat, Spain, and knocked on the front door. Fortunately for Ligare, the legendary Surrealist was home. Even more fortunate, Dalí agreed to speak with him, and the two spent the afternoon chatting in his studio. Although it’s not known what they discussed, Ligare later became a painter. While his landscapes, still lifes and narrative oil paintings expand upon the realist tradition, the figures in his works are stylized — they’re polished and wholly free of imperfection.
Ligare was born in 1945 in Oak Park, Illinois. At the age of five years old, he moved with his family to California and, in later years, studied at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.
In 1978, Ligare’s artistic style took shape after joining a group of artists who were intent on reviving narrative painting during a time dominated by Conceptualism, minimalism and Pop art. An essay fueled Ligare’s decision to base his style on narration by critic and painter Sidney Tillim titled “Notes on Narrative and History Painting,” which appeared in Artforum a year prior. Tillim had explained why narrative art was necessary, stating that “a didactic morality or its equivalent must similarly support and validate what comes down to a new — or renewed — effort to illustrate belief.”
Not only was Ligare inspired by the works of 17th-century painter Nicolas Poussin — a major figure in classical French Baroque art — but he also drew upon Greco-Roman classicism. Greek sculptor Polykleitos, mathematician Pythagoras, and Plato's philosophy and mythology helped shape his ideas of light, balance, symmetry, and harmony. His surroundings also inspired Ligare in Monterey County, California, where he is based — many of his paintings depict the California coast in the background.
Ligare has shown his works extensively, including in exhibitions at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, the Fresno Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum in Seattle and the Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture in London. His paintings are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Department of Drawings and Prints of the Uffizi in Florence, Italy.
Find authentic David Ligare paintings on 1stDibs.
Still Life with Polykleitian Head and Ancathus
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to ...
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Peach on Cloth
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2014
Canvas, Oil
SOLIS (Sunlight)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2024
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Apple on Cloth
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2014
Canvas, Oil
Offering: Grapes & Fig
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
David Ligare (b. 1945) Contemporary American Painter "Offering: Grapes & Fig," 2023 Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): Ligare / 2023
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Figs on Cloth
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to ...
Canvas, Oil
Candle and Flowers
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to ...
Canvas, Oil
Thrown Drapery (Redux) Study 1
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2004
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Box
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower right): L; (on verso): David Ligare
Canvas, Oil
Landscape with an Owl (ATHENE NOCTUA) (Owl of Athena)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2024
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Apples and Basket
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso)" D. Ligare / 2014
Canvas, Oil
PERMETTO (To Allow)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2024
Canvas, Oil
VIRTUS (Virtue)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower right): L; (on the back): D. Ligare / 2024
Canvas, Oil
DISCERE (To Learn)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2024
Canvas, Oil
SCIRE (To Know)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed with initial (at lower right): L
Canvas, Oil
ORDINE NATURAE (The Order of Nature)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2015
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
H 28 in W 22 in D 1.75 in
Emerald Manner - Contemporary Still Life Flowers Fruit Landscape Green, 2024
By Melanie Parke
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary oil painting on canvas, a bright and inviting interior scene is set with a still life arrangement of flowers in a green bottle, painted patterned china and fruit...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
H 24 in W 24 in D 1.75 in
Emerald Rain - Contemporary Still Life Flowers Fruit Landscape Green, 2024
By Melanie Parke
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary oil painting on canvas, a bright and inviting interior scene is set with a still life with arrangements of flowers in a vase and a glass pitcher, a pear and lemo...
Canvas, Oil
$10,000
H 48 in W 48 in D 1.5 in
"Rose" by Ming Ming - Pink & Green Floral Still-Life with Cool and Earth Tones
By Ming Ming
Located in Carmel, CA
Ming Ming Liang (Chinese, born 1964) "Rose" 2024 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right of the painting. In "Rose", Ming Ming transforms a traditional ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$10,000
H 48 in W 48 in D 1.5 in
"Sunlight After Storm" by Ming Ming - Blue, Orange and Green Flowers Still-Life
By Ming Ming
Located in Carmel, CA
Ming Ming Liang (Chinese, born 1964) "Sunlight After Storm" 2024 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right of the painting. In "Sunlight After Storm", Min...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Giddy Blossoms: Unique Framed Contemporary Still-life Print
By Damien Hirst
Located in Bristol, GB
Oil on card, mounted on birch ply frames, with canvas webbing around the edges Unique 59.6 x 42.1 cm (23.5 x 16.6 in) 61.8 x 44.3 x 5 cm, 24.3 x 17.4 x 2 in Signed, titled, numbered ...
Canvas, Plywood, Oil, Cardboard
$5,027
H 59.06 in W 47.25 in D 1.19 in
Large Botanical Study Oil Painting "Ikhamanga-XIII Birds of Paradise"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A large, unique oil painting on stretched canvas, ready to hang. The artwork depicts close-up tropical plants in beautiful and rich colours. Framing options are available on request
Canvas, Oil
$2,500
H 19.41 in W 25.56 in D 1.38 in
«Meet the Queen» Still Life Oil Painting by Samantha Van Heest
By Samantha Van Heest
Located in Oslo, NO
Samantha Van Heest explores the intimacy of impermanence through her work, utilizing still life, found objects, and portraiture through minimalist r...
Canvas, Oil
$1,915
H 35.44 in W 35.44 in D 1.97 in
Green & Blue Landscape Forest Study Oil Painting "Into the Woods - Thabo M"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A medium sized unique oil painting on stretched canvas, ready to hang. As the artist move through a new passage of her life these “Into the Woods” paintings started to emerge. This...
Canvas, Oil
$1,496
H 33.47 in W 23.63 in D 1.97 in
Pink Botanical Study Oil Painting "Into the Woods - Amber Season"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A medium sized, unique oil painting on stretched canvas, ready to hang. The artwork depicts a tree with amber leaves from below, with deep and rich colours. Framing options are avail...
Canvas, Oil
Cosmic ScottCake - Cupcake painting
By Edie Nadelhaft
Located in East Quogue, NY
"Cosmic ScottCake" - Cupcake realism painting by Edie Nadelhaft - oil on canvas, 8 x 8 inches Created during her fellowship at the Edward F. Albee Foundation in Montauk, “Cosmic Sco...
Canvas, Oil
Naturaleza Muerta Con Colibrí
By Miguel Padura
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful still life painting with amazing detail on the colors and shapes. Miguel Padura was born in Havana in 1957. “I was four years old when my family moved to Rodas, in the pr...
Canvas, Oil
$4,900
H 30 in W 32 in D 1.75 in
Trailing Pear - Lake Landscape Window Flowers Fruit Botanical Still Life, 2025
By Melanie Parke
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary painting in oil on canvas, a cheerful interior scene is bright and inviting with a still life arrangement of coral red flowers in a green glass bottle next to a ...
Canvas, Oil
NOVUM INCREMENTUM (New Growth)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (LR): L; on verso: D. Ligare/ 1988/2024
Canvas, Oil
Offering: Apples & Wheat
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
David Ligare (b. 1945) Contemporary American Painter 'Offering: Apples & Wheat,' 2023 Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. Signed (at lower right): L; (on back): D. Ligare/ 2023.
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Polykleitian Head and Candles (Idea)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso): D. Ligare / 2018
Oil, Canvas
Still Life with Lilies
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on verso) D. Ligare / 2014.
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Figs and Rose
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to Classicist ideals: Truth, Bea...
Canvas, Oil
Bulk Order for Eugene Orloff
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to Classicist ideals: Truth, Bea...
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with White Roses in Pot
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to Classicist ideals: Truth, Bea...
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Figs and Egyptian Pot
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower right): L; (on the verso): D. Ligare / 2017 SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-fi...
Canvas, Oil
The Cane Gatherer (Qanu)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed (at lower left): L
Canvas, Oil
Three Grecian Women
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated (at lower left on stone): D. LIGARE. 1983
Canvas, Oil
Integritas
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas, 2015
Still Life with Plums and Goldfinch (Aparchai)
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas