Still-Life Painting

Still life painting, from the Dutch Stilleven, refers to a genre or style that represents an arrangement of nonhuman items, such as animals or game, fruit, flowers, bread, kitchenware, books, and other inanimate objects, in a set space. For a time still life painting was considered by scholars as the least worthy of the fine arts genres, however, it has gained many admirers and is greatly valued in the twenty-first century.

Brief History

In medieval Europe, still life painting decreased in popularity when the preferred themes became religious and historic scenes and portraits of the powerful and wealthy. During the Renaissance, a growing interest in nature awoke an incipient interest in still life subjects, although it remained a secondary genre. In the Middle Ages, still life was not an independent genre; along with other genres such as landscapes and portraits, it was introduced as an element on larger works depicting religious and historic themes. It became an independent genre in the early seventeenth century, which marked the beginning of a golden era for still life painting.

Still life painting has always been shaped by historic social, economic and religious forces. In other words, still life paintings reflect the national and religious currents in which they were created, and thus developed many branches, such as the Flemish, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, impressionist, and so on. Of special note are the still life works of the Northern and Spanish Netherlands in the 1600s, also known as the Flemish and Dutch Schools.

Rather than serving as mere ornamental objects, still life paintings served several purposes. Artists were able to experiment with perspective and textures more than other genres. The rising merchant class used still live paintings to showcase their wealth and status by way of beautiful household items. Finally, still life painters created a trove of symbolic imagery, in which religious ideology and social commentary were visually represented. A still life painting, for example, could be a commentary on the ephemeral nature of love, sensual pleasure, and vanity; the passage of time and loss of life; religious philosophy; the seasons of the year; and the senses. Still lifes ranged from highly realistic depictions, such as those from the baroque and rococo, to experiments in light and shape, as during the impressionist period, and geometry and color, as with post-impressionism. In the late twentieth century, some modern movements reshaped the tradition of the still life in radical ways.

Overview

Still life painting is traditionally divided into four branches: (1) animals; (2) flowers; (3) tables set with food or banquets; (4) symbolic still lifes. These, in turn, may be further divided into subgenres. There is great stylistic diversity in the depictions of still life, and the tone of these works is set along historic lines of nationality and culture beginning in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

The Flemish still life, for example, has a tendency towards exuberance, a preference for vivid colors, and is often a realistic and ostentatious display of the luxurious acquisitions of the prosperous merchant bourgeoisie. Flemish still life is also imbued with a jubilant Catholic spirit. One of the most representative Flemish still life painters is Frans Snyders (1579–1657).

The Dutch still life school also reflects the preferences of a society that enjoyed a high living standard provided by commerce. However, it is imbued with the aesthetic of protestant Calvinism, which turns away from ostentation, preferring austerity and restraint. Dutch still lifes also showcase high quality items, albeit quietly and moderately, in a palette of sober earthy colors. They are remarkable for the elegant depiction of polished metals and glass, reflecting a subtle sheen. Some of the most important representatives of this genre are Pieter Claesz (1597–1660), Willem Claesz Heda (1594–1682?), and Harmen van Steenwyck (1612–1656).

French still lifes portray courtly elegance and refinement, and sometimes incorporate symbolic imagery. For example, French still life artists might add books to represent intellectual activity, a palette and paintbrushes to represent painting, musical instruments to represent the sense of hearing, and so on. Louise Moillon (1610–1696), Lubin Baugin (1610–1663), and Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin (1699–1779) are the most famous representatives of French still life painters.

Spanish still lifes tended towards simplicity and spirituality, which reflects the culture’s deeply ingrained Catholic tradition. It exalts the beauty of simple textures and repasts, such as plain fruit and bread, and a strong chiaroscuro. In fact, Spain developed a subgenre known as Lenten still lifes, which aim to represent Catholic faith and humility through modest fruit and vegetables. Important representatives of the Spanish still live tradition are Juan Sanchez Cotan (1560–1627), Francisco de Zurbaran (1598–1664), and Luis Egidio Melendez (1716–1780).

There were many other still-life styles, such as the memento mori, which depicted objects that symbolized the temporality of power, riches, and vanity, and the certainty of death. In contemporary art, among the most emblematic still life painters are the post-impressionists Paul Cezanne (1839–1906) and Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890). Cezanne experimented with geometric shapes, painting items such as bottles and jars based on cones, cylinders, and spheres. Among Van Gogh’s best known still lifes are his paintings of yellow sunflowers and purple irises.

During the late twentieth century, artists such Andy Warhol (1928–1987) radically re-created the still life tradition. Warhol controversially depicted common commercial items such as Campbell Soup cans and detergent boxes in serial repetitions. As opposed to sixteenth century painters who reified objects of wealth and elegance, Warhol’s work elevated disposable items as subject worthy.

Bibliography

Benedict, Leca, Paul Smith, Richard Schiff, Nina Kalimyer, and Denis Coutagne. The World Is an Apple: The Still Lives of Paul Cezanne. London: Giles, 2014. Print.

Berger, Harry. Caterpillage: Reflections on Seventeenth-Century Dutch Still Life Paintings. New York: Fordham UP, 2011. Print.

Friel, Michael. Still Life Painting Atelier: An Introduction to Oil Painting. New York: Watson, 2014. Print.

MacDonald, Heather, Mitchell Merling, Sylvie Patry, Audrey Gay-Mazuel, and Olivier Meslay. Working among Flowers: Floral Still-Life Painting in Nineteenth-Century France. New Haven: Yale UP, 2014. Print.

Mauner, George. Manet: The Still Life Paintings. New York: Abrams, 2006. Print.

Paul, Tanya, James Dlifton, Julie Berger Hochstresser, Arthur K. Wheelock. Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst. New York: Skira Rizzoli, 2012. Print.

Liedtke, Walter. "Still-Life Painting in Northern Europe, 1600-1800. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. Web. 9 June 9 2015.

Schneider, Norbert, and Hugh Beyer. The Art of the Still Life: Still Life Painting in the Early Modern Period. Cologne: Taschen, 1990. Print.

Thompson, Jeffrey E. At Home with the Impressionists: Masterpieces of French Still-Life Painting. New York: Universe, 2001. Print.