Still-life Paintings
Still-life Paintings For Sale
Color: Beige
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Go...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers, Fruit and Bottle)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers, Fruit and Bottle)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condi...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Good
Provenance: Estate of Ian Hornak, East Hampton, NY
Notes: A rare original painting by Ian Hornak...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Go...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Good
Provena...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers and Fruit)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Go...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Still Life with Flowers)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Good
Provena...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled (Abstract Landscape with Flowering Tree)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Landscape with Flowering Tree)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Good
P...
Category
1960s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
FINE MID 20TH CENTURY ENGLISH IMPRESSIONIST OIL - STILL LIFE FLOWERS & ORNAMENTS
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: British School, mid 20th century.
Title: Still Life of Flowers and Ornaments.
Medium: oil painting on board, framed
Size: painting: 17.5 x 25 inches plus frame
...
Category
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
"You Never Know Where the Buddha Will Appear", Japanese, blues, oil painting
Located in Natick, MA
Nan Hass Feldman's "You Never Know Where the Buddha Will Appear" is a 20 x 16 inch oil painting on cradled panel and relates back to the Japanese Floating World series. In this serie...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
'I'm Cambures for You' Original Canvas Painting by Alejandra Linares
Located in Chattanooga, TN
'I'm Cambures for You' Wrapped Canvas Original Painting features abstract bananas in tones of yellow, beige, red, and black. Exuding empowerment, Alejandra Linares’s artwork is a col...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Poinsettia 2
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Poinsettia 2" is an oil painting of the signature red plant blossomed against a light backdrop, in a minimalist pot, a cement cube. A refined pop of red for the Holidays.
Painting dimensions: 14 x 11 inches
Framed dimensions: 16.5 x 13.5 inches
Matthew Weigle...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Panel, Oil
"Into My Studio" oil on canvas by Masri
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri is a passionate Italian, US-based artist whose work has been exhibited in USA, the UK, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and Norway. His work is varied and known especially in Europe, an...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Blade (Framed Realistic Still Life Oil Painting of Grey Utility Knife on Beige)
Located in Hudson, NY
Small, square still life oil painting of a grey utility knife against a cream colored backdrop
"Blade" by Matthew Hopkins, painted in 2020
oil on panel, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Mid Century Crystal and Glass Still Life
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous midcentury painting of crystal decanter and clear glass vessels against a vivid orange backdrop by Donald Werden (American, b. 1921). Signed and...
Category
1960s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor, Paper
Cotton Candy
Located in San Francisco, CA
"Cotton Candy" is a unique oil on canvas painting by Dana Alon Zaitony. She was born in 1974 and began painting when she was only three years old. During ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Flowers and Twigs, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Orange and yellow candy-colored Gerbera daisies exploding on a nostalgic patterned blue background featuring pink flowers. Painted on Arches heavyweight oil primed paper, which can be framed with our without glass.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: Gerbera daisies, daisies, vase, floral, bouquet, flowers, still life, flora, representational, vintage, oil painting, orange
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Alstroemeria Yellow Lilys In The Basket large oil painting
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Alstroemeria Yellow Lilys Still Life oil painting.
RAFAEL SALDARRIAGA was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1955. Arrived in the United States in 1993. After l...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Italian Contemporary Art by Andrea Vandoni - Progress
Located in Paris, IDF
Mixed media on wooden panel
Andrea Vandoni is an Italian artist born in 1972 who lives and works in Novara, Italy. The artist studied and trained at the School of the Archaeologists...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Board
Ikebana, acrylic on canvas mounted on wood, raised texture, red and tan
By Ben Darby
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a whimsical interpretation of an ikebana arrangement. The texture is raised along the branches, with a red gradient that falls to tan at the bottom, complemented by a vase. T...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Still-life Painting on Canvas - Tuesday's Bouquet
By Tina Lincer
Located in Troy, NY
This still-life oil painting on canvas shows a starkly white vase with a yellow and teal bouquet of flowers. The white vase rests on a navy blue tablecloth with a design subtly remin...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Sweet Favorites, Oil Painting
By Pat Doherty
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A summer berry shortcake, colorful macarons and a cheesecake displayed on pedestal plates arranged on a blue striped tablecloth. Pat Doherty's delectable oil ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
English Abstract Painting - Modern Grass
By Spe
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract painting of grass and leaves by artist Spe, 2013. Signed lower right.
Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a go...
Category
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Untitled Still Life, Chocolate Cupcakes/White Icing, Colored Sprinkles on Pink
Located in Wellesley, MA
"Three Chocolate Cupcakes with White Icing and Colored Sprinkles" Oil on Canvas, 6 x 6 x 1.5 inches. This painting is unframed.
Beautifully painted in a luscious style reminisce...
Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Vertical Floral Still Life
By Doreen Gadsby
Located in Soquel, CA
Highly impasto still life of brightly colored flowers in a vase by Doreen Gadsby (Australian, b. 1926). Signed "Gadsby" in lower right corner. Presented in a green wood frame. Image size: 44.25"H x 22.13"W
Doreen Gadsby (Australian, b. 1928) was born to a farming family in Lismore, Australia, and later studied at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School) in Darlinghurst during World War II. As a young mother of four, she joined the same art club as Lloyd Rees and a 17-year-old Brett Whiteley...
Category
1980s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary landscape oil painting colorful mountains forest sky signed
By Kevin Knopp
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'King's Bluff, La Crosse' is an original landscape in oil signed by the Midwestern artist Kevin Knopp. In the vista, mountains jutt out from either side of the canvas in deep greens ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Still Life with Bananas"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by:
Vaclav Vytlacil (1892-1984)
He was born to Czechoslovakian parents in 1892 in New York City. Living in Chicago as a youth, he took classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, returning to New York when he was 20. From 1913 to 1916, he enjoyed a scholarship from the Art Students League, and worked with John C. Johansen (a portraitist whose expressive style resembled that of John Singer Sargent), and Anders Zorn.
He accepted a teaching position at the Minneapolis School of Art in 1916, remaining there until 1921. This enabled him to travel to Europe to study Cézanne’s paintings and works of the Old Masters. He traveled to Paris, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, and Munich seeking the works of Titian, Cranach, Rembrandt, Veronese, and Holbein, which gave him new perspective. Vytlacil studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Munich, settling there in 1921. Fellow students were Ernest Thurn and Worth Ryder, who introduced him to famous abstractionist Hans Hofmann. He worked with Hofmann from about 1922 to 1926, as a student and teaching assistant.
During the summer of 1928, after returning to the United States, Vytlacil gave lectures at the University of California, Berkeley, on modern European art. Soon thereafter, he became a member of the Art Students League faculty. After one year, he returned to Europe and successfully persuaded Hofmann to teach at the League as well. He spent about six years in Europe, studying the works of Matisse, Picasso, and Dufy. In 1935, he returned to New York and became a co-founder of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936. He later had teaching posts at Queens College in New York; the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California; Black Mountain College in North Carolina; and the Art Students League.
His paintings exhibit a clear inclination toward modernism. His still lives and interiors from the 1920s indicate an understanding of the art of Cézanne. In the 1930s, his works displayed two very different kinds of art at the same time. His cityscapes and landscapes combine Cubist-inspired spatial concerns with an expressionistic approach to line and color. Vytlacil also used old wood, metal, cork, and string in constructions, influenced by his friend and former student, Rupert Turnbull. He eventually ceased creating constructions as he considered them too limiting. The spatial challenges of painting were still his preference. During the 1940s and 1950s, his works indicated a sense of spontaneity not felt in his earlier work.
He married Elizabeth Foster in Florence, Italy, in 1927 and they lived and worked in Positano, Italy for extended periods of time. Later on, they divided their time between homes in Sparkill, New York and Chilmark, Massachusetts, where Vyt, as he was affectionately called, taught at the Martha's Vineyard Art...
Category
1930s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Blue Pansies, Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Vahe Yeremyan
Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Year: 2020
Style: Impressionism,
Subject: Blue Pansies,
Size: 16" x 20" x...
Category
2010s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"Divine Garden Series #285, " Mark Whitmarsh, Contemporary Yellow Flowers, 24x24
Located in Dallas, TX
“As I build layers of color, a personal iconography evolves on the painted surface. I’m
interested in a surface that has a rich patina with a modern ancestry. By adding and
subtracti...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Board
Untitled 534, 1990s
Located in Quogue, NY
Watercolor on paper
Category
1990s Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
English Abstract Painting - Modern Grass
By Spe
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract painting of grass and leaves in browns, grays, and reds by artist Spe, 2013. Signed lower right.
Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a gold bor...
Category
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
"Cupcake", Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dianne L. Massey Dunbar's (US based) "Cupcake" is an oil painting depicting one lone cupcake with white frosting and sprinkles in soft light interior setting.
About the artist:
Wh...
Category
2010s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
The Rural Landscape, British Impressionist Oil Painting
By J.B. Holmes
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Rural Landscape
By British painter JB.Holmes, 20th Century
Oil Painting on board, unframed.
Board size: 18 x 11 inch
Soft colours portray an idyllic country road. Painted straig...
Category
1980s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Shell Can and Nautilus
Located in Woodbury, CT
Oil on canvas, signed and dated 2010. French handmade wooden Delf frame, pale cream patina with silver leaf inset and medallions. Unframed size: 27.5 inches high x 25.75 inches wide....
Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Chinese Lanterns and Lunaria, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Catherine developed a soft, warm background to highlight these delicate and papery seed casings. The silvery, translucent lunaria dance around the stunning or...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Les Fruits
Located in Sheffield, MA
Andre Raffin
French, 1927-2005
Les Fruits
Oil on Canvas
18 in. by 22 in. W/frame 25 ½ in. by 29 ½ in.
Signed & dated 61 lower left
André Raffin was bor...
Category
1960s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Leaves I, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Leaves I" is an oil painting that depicts yellow Fall leaves with a cream colored background
Elizabeth Zanzinger...
Category
2010s Academic Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
Purple Iris Still Life
By (after) Georgia O'Keeffe
Located in Houston, TX
Gorgeous still life lithograph of a a vibrant purple Iris made in the 1930's by artist unknown in the style of Georgia O'Keeffe.
Category
1930s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Lithograph
French Post Impressionist oil painting of a still life with apples and wine
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Louise-Jeanne Cottard-Fossey (French 1902-1983)
Still life with apples and wine bottle
Oil on canvas,
Signed ‘L COTTARD-FOSSEY’ (lower right)
18.1/8 x 21.1/2 in. (46 x 54.7cm.)
Exh...
Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Feedback Loop, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Feedback Loop" is an oil painting that depicts peculiar machine with wiring and red in interior with white background
Elizabeth Zanzinger is an awa...
Category
2010s Academic Still-life Paintings
Materials
Panel, Oil
Still Life Painting of American Diner Interior New York City by British Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life Painting of American Diner Interior in New York City by Leading British Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield. Paintings of American Diner...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Oil, Paint, Board
Train Engine, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Train Engine" is an oil painting created in 2020 by Dianne L. Massey Dunbar depicting a lego train.
About the artist:
When Dianne Massey Dunbar was ver...
Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Everything But the Kitchen Sink 48 X 36 Reds and Yellow
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Everything but the Kitchen Sink- 48 X 36, Reds and Yellow
Painters who have tackled the genre of Still Life are awe inspiring to me. To name a few, Matisse, Cezanne and my favorite, Georgio Morandi, all of whom painted memorable still lifes. The content of a Nature Morte (French translation) usually consists of domestic, ubiquitous items that occupy a place in the home environment. My interest in this genre of painting began long ago and I have pursued it concomitantly with my larger abstract works. As an abstract painter, I find many corollaries between Abstraction and Realism. That’s not to say that my still life paintings are realistic or abstract but to be more accurate, artistic license allows me to invent my own brand of semi realism incorporated into ‘’The Stll Life’’.
My goal in this body of work was to create a dynamic based on the juxtaposition of patterns and a bold, complementary palette-- resulting in a synergy of texture, animation and optical effects. As the work progressed, an organic evolution of ideas took over and the work became more reductive and less confrontational.
Just a word about my titles. Some are ‘’tongue in cheek’’ and some are a sardonic take on the imagery but I spend a lot of time making sure the titles fit the idea behind the painting. Of course, viewer interpretation is always welcome.
Patricia Zinsmeister Parker...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media
English Abstract Painting - Modern Grass
By Spe
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract painting of grass and leaves by artist Spe, 2013. Signed lower right.
Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a go...
Category
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Spoon, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's "Spoon" is an oil on board created in 2020 depicting a fancy spoon floating above a city.
About the artist:
Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1986 and...
Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
French 20th Century Post Impressionist still life of kettle, cup and jug
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
R. Bazin (French, 20th Century)
Still life with kettle, cup and jug
Oil on canvas
Signed ‘R BAZIN’ (lower left)
15 x 18 in. (38 x 46 cm.)
Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Ann Bridges, Stealing Red Cherries, Original Still Life Painting, Bright Art
By Ann Bridges
Located in Deddington, GB
Ann Bridges
Stealing Red Cherries
Original Still Life Drawing
Oil based ink and pencil
Image Size 22 x 22 cm
Sheet Size: 38 x 38 cm
Framed Size: 40 x 40 cm
Sold Framed (Black wood frame 2cm deep)
Free Shipping
Please note that in situ images are purely an indication of how a piece may look.
Stealing Red Cherries is a contemporary food drawing...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Pencil, Ink
Ponies and Puppies Trotty And Trix Coloring Book, Cover Art
Located in Miami, FL
Children's illustration of Ponies and Puppies
Signed lower left
Children’s Books Published by The Merrill Company
Category
1950s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Gouache
English Abstract Painting - Modern Grass
By Spe
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract painting of grass and leaves by artist Spe, 2013. Signed lower right.
Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a go...
Category
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
"Still Life with Figure"
Located in Southampton, NY
This painting is an oil on canvas mounted to a wood panel. It is signed with his monogram signature JTA lower right. The work is unframed.
Axton was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kan...
Category
1980s Academic Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Bouquet in Porcelain Vase”
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a very well done floral still life oil on canvas painting by the Yukoslavian/American artist, Marko Yukovic. Signed lower left. Circa 1960. Condition: Good.
Overall measurements in original grey wash wood frame with faint gold highlights 18 by 22 inches.
Biography Marko (Mark) Walker Vukovic
From Yukoslavia, Marko Vukovic...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Damn, You Got Some Wicked Style - Large Oversized Framed Original Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
English artist Jonjo Elliot's large scale still life works are a collision of expressionistic fauvism and his collections encourage a youthful candor. Plants thrive in environments t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
'Flower Dancer' original oil on wood painting signed by Robert Richter
Located in Milwaukee, WI
In 'Flower Dancer,' Robert Richter presents the viewer with a closely cropped image of a canna lily. Whereas many of his paintings use deep and richly saturated color, here he treats...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
R.I.P. Kobe
By Ruby Silvious
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This purple, white, beige and orange painting titled "R.I.P. Kobe" is an original artwork by Ruby Silvious made of watercolor and gouache on used tea bag. This...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Found Objects, Tea, Gouache, Watercolor
Flowers Bouquet Watercolor on Paper
By Joan Brady
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Summer Bouquet,
watercolor on paper size 24x30 framed 32x38
Joan Brady 20th Century American artist is known for her watercolors.
Exhibition :
Custom House Museum
Key West Art...
Category
20th Century American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Archival Paper
"Giverny XVII", Contemporary, Oil Painting, Canvas, Waterscape, Impressionist
By Jill Hackney
Located in St. Louis, MO
2x 30" x 40" panels
"A native of New Orleans, Jill Hackney studied painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art and Louisiana State University, where she earned her BFA. She is a foun...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Texas Exotic, Large Painting by Bill Wiman
By Bill Wiman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Bill Wiman, American (1940 - )
Title: Texas Exotic
Year: 1977
Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed
Size: 56 x 59.5 in. (142.24 x 151.13 cm)
Frame: 57 x 61 inches
Category
1970s Photorealist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
“Still life with Cantaloupe”
Located in Southampton, NY
Beautiful still life painting of a slice of cantaloupe melon by an unknown artist. Signed lower right, d’0lajos. Circa 1980. Oil on board. Condition good. Overall in art nouveau st...
Category
1980s Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Shop Still-Life Paintings on 1stDibs
Still-life paintings work as part of the decor in nearly every type of space.
Still-life art, which includes work produced in media such as painting, photography, video and more, is a popular genre in Western art. However, the depiction of still life in color goes back to Ancient Egypt, where paintings on the interior walls of tombs portrayed the objects — such as food — that a person would take into the afterlife. Ancient Greek and Roman mosaics and pottery also often depicted food. Indeed, still-life paintings frequently feature food, flowers or man-made objects. By definition, still-life art represents anything that is considered inanimate.
During the Middle Ages, the still life genre was adapted by artists who illustrated religious manuscripts. A common theme of these paintings is the reminder that life is fleeting. This is especially true of vanitas, a kind of still life with roots in the Netherlands during the 17th century, which was built on themes such as death and decay and featured skulls and objects such as rotten fruit. In northern Europe during the 1600s, painters consulted botanical texts to accurately depict the flowers and plants that were the subject of their work.
Leonardo da Vinci’s penchant for observing phenomena in nature and filling notebooks with drawings and notes helped him improve as an artist of still-life paintings. Vincent van Gogh, an artist who made a couple of the most expensive paintings ever sold, carried out rich experiments with color over the course of painting hundreds of still lifes, and we can argue that Campbell’s Soup Cans (1961–62) by Andy Warhol counts as still-life art.
While early examples were primarily figurative, you can find still lifes that belong to different schools and styles of painting, such as Cubism, Impressionism and contemporary art.
As part of the wall decor in your living room, dining room or elsewhere, a still-life painting can look sophisticated alongside your well-curated decorative objects and can help set the mood in a space.
When shopping for a still-life painting, think about how it makes you feel and how the artist chose to represent its subject. When buying any art for your home, choose pieces that you connect with. If you’re shopping online, read the description of the work to learn about the artist and check the price and shipping information. Make sure that the works you choose complement or relate to your overall theme and furniture style. Artwork can either fit into your room’s color scheme or serve as an accent piece. Introduce new textures to a space by choosing an oil still-life painting.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of still-life paintings in a wide range of styles and subject matter.