An Introduction to Still Life

History of Still Life

A Still Life is a work of art, a drawing or painting (usually) of a group of objects. Objects do not move, hence the word 'still'. In the past these objects tended to be flowers, fruit, and other kinds of food or dead animals - hence 'life'. The French for still life is 'nature morte', meaning 'dead nature'. You get the idea. Nowadays, though, still life can mean any objects small enough to be put in front of you, usually on a table.

EgyptiansThe Ancient Egyptians painted stacks of offerings for the gods, in temples or. Can you recognize any of the objects?

You can see a basket of figs, grapes, bread, a leg of beef, duck, more meat, and a cucumber. Quite a feast for the gods.

There are many mosaics of objects you can see on the floors of villas or in museums, and wall paintings too - especially at Pompeii (the Roman town covered by ash in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD79).

Greeks and Romans

16th and 17th Century Europe

The Ambassadors

1533, Hans Holbein the Younger

Christ at EmmausCaravaggio 1601

Game and Floral

Margareta Haverman, Dutch, active by 1716, died after 1750: A Vase of Flowers, oil on wood

Breakfast, Banquet Meals

Clara Peeters: Still-life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit and Pretzels, oil on panel

Willem Claesz Heda (artist)Dutch, 1593/1594 - 1680Banquet Piece with Mince Pie, 1635

Dutch Vanitas Still Life

Vanitas Still Life 1603 Vqnitas Still Life with Portrait David Bailly

Trompe l’Oeil

John F. Peto: Office Board, oil on canvas, 24 3/8 x 19 7/8 in. 1885

Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dutch, 1627-1678), Trompe-l'oeil, 1664

A French term literally meaning "trick the eye." Sometimes called illusionism, it's a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism.

19th and 20th CenturyA move towards abstraction

12 Sunflowers in a Vase1888 Van Gogh

Paul Cézanne: Still-life with Bowl of Fruit, oil on canvas, 1893–4

Georges Braque: Candlestick and Playing Cards on a Table, oil on canvas,

Picasso Still Life with Fruit Dish on a Table (1914-1915)

Photorealism

Audrey Flack

STILL LIFE HISTORY AND DRAWING

Value to Form

TonalShading with pressure

StipplingShading with dots

HatchingShading with one type of line

Cross-hatching

Contour Line Describes the interior and exterior of

the subject

Blind Contour Rules: can’t pick up your pencil, can’t

look at your paper Why? To learn how to draw what you

actually see! Also helps with hand/eye coordination

Perspective

The Process