Simple still life paintings may have complex meanings.
Still life painting is the depiction of inanimate objects for the sake of their qualities of form, color, texture, and composition, according to the "Encyclopedia Britannica." Although still life painting is not ranked high among art theorists, according to the National Gallery of Art, it changed the way artists viewed the world and emphasized investigation over abstract theory.
Definition
A traditional still life painting may contain inanimate objects, such as of fruit, flowers, books, tableware, newspapers, or musical instruments, according to the National Gallery of Art. Still life paintings can be a straightforward representation of an object or may contain a deeper meaning, such as a subtle moral message. Still life painting first began in the sixteenth century in Italy and Spain.
History
Still life painting did not become popular until the seventeenth century in Europe, with Holland being the leader in the art form, according to the National Gallery of Art. America was first introduced to still life painting by the Dutch. Still life often served as an amateur form of folk art and was also commonly used in advertisements to portray a message to customers who were unable to read.
Popular Artists
Members of the Peale family were the first truly accomplished still life painters in America in the early nineteenth century, according to the National Gallery of Art. The Peale's most popular paintings were of tabletop groupings of fruit or glassware. Still life painting as an art form changed in the late nineteenth century with artists like William Harnett, John Frederick Peto, and John Haberle. These artists utilized shadows, reflections, and textures to create three-dimensional effects that fool the viewer's eye. Charles Demuth, William Merritt Chase, Emil Carlsen, and Georgia O'Keefe are also well-known still life painters.
Changes in Still Life
Still life became popular as a means for sharing exotic specimens of organisms seen around the world. It has changed in the modern era as styles such as impressionism, abstraction, and cubism have been brought to bear on the genre. During the mid-twentieth century, pop artists began including soup or beer cans in their still life paintings instead of the traditional fruit, flowers, or books.
Symbolism
Still life paintings are often symbolic about the bounty of nature and life and in some instances may "nudge the conscience to contemplation of more weighty matters," according to the National Gallery of Art. Paintings of rotten fruit, cut or whithered flowers, or insects eating leaves can represent the transience of life and may remind viewers of their own mortality.
