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Still-life Paintings For Sale
Artist: John Morfis
Artist: Jacob Collins
"Eel Spear" trompe l'oeil still life of an antique object, black and grey tones
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Eel Spear" is a trompe l'oeil still life of an antique object with black and grey tones. John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Red Sand Shovel" contemporary trompe l'oeil oil painting of antique object
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Red Sand Shovel" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil oil painting of antique object in an interior. The child's shovel is hanging on a hook slightly off kilter. Artist Bio: John Morfi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Little Girl and Dog on Shovel" blue white trompe l'oeil oil painting of antique
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Little Girl and Dog on Shovel" is a blue, white and red trompe l'oeil oil painting of a child's beach shovel. Morfis' incredible realism contrasts the qua...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Pomegranate I
Located in New York, NY
Image: 8h x 10w inches Framed: 12 5/8h x 14 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was bor...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Bread II
Located in New York, NY
Image: 12h x 17w inches Framed: 14 1/2h x 20 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was bo...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Horseshoe Crab on Light Blue
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A life size trompe l'oeil oil painting of a dried horseshoe crab. The background is painted with large textured brushstrokes, the light teal blue reflecting in the eye of the crab. Framed in a black wooden frame with a silvery inner edge. Framed Dimensions 26 x 21 inches BIOGRAPHY John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Brass Oarlock
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil painting of a finely-crafted oarlock from a row boat. It hangs from a string on the wall; the excess string curling at the edge. Morfis masterfully creates the shadows of this object and the string. Framed dimensions: 21.5 x 17.5 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Branching out
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a tomato still life. On a neutral background sits a larger tomato and 6 smaller tomatoes still attached to a vine. The two groups are divided by a diagonal slash of branch. Painting dimensions: 6 x 13 inches Framed dimensions: 12 x 19 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

2010s American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Garden Dibble
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of an antique tool, a Garden Dibble, which is a long stick-like tool used to make holes for seeds, to make sure they are sufficiently buried in the soil without damage. This particular object that Morfis chose to paint has a wooden handle, and a metal point. The dibber rests atop a nail, against a gray wall. Bright studio-light casts a sharp shadow directly beneath the tool. Painted in the academic realist style of "trompe-l'oeil" which is French for "trickery of the eye". BIOGRAPHY John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Secret Agent Cap Gun
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil painting of a toy gun hung upside down by a nail through the trigger.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Spatula on Blue - Oil painting by trompe l'oeil american realist painter Morfis
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A dark, yet crisp tromp-l'oeil depiction of a spatula. Morfis makes beauty out of the ordinary objects that we use everyday. ARTIST BIO John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Little Girl and Dog Shovel
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil oil painting of a child's beach shovel. Morfis' incredible realism contrasts the quaint illustration on the shovel. Framed dimensions: 23.5 x 17.5 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen, Panel

Clementine III
Located in New York, NY
Image: 8h x 10w inches Framed: 12 5/8h x 14 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was born and received his formal training in New York, and also studied in Paris. He embraces a variety of subject matter and is equally adept at portraiture (his sitters have included J. Paul Getty Jr., President George Herbert Walker Bush, and Supreme Court Chief Justice...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Pomegranate II
Located in New York, NY
Image: 10h x 16w inches Framed: 14 5/8h x 20 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was bo...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Bread
Located in New York, NY
Image: 10h x 16w inches Framed: 14 1/8h x 20 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was bo...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel, Canvas

Bread and Butter
Located in New York, NY
Image: 12h x 16w inches Framed: 14 5/8h x 20 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 (note: main image was taken before signature was added, see signature in framed images...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

Apples
Located in New York, NY
Image: 8h x 12w inches Framed: 12 5/8h x 16 5/8w inches Signed at lower right: COLLINS '22 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was bor...
Category

2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Panel

Pauls Jacket
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a vintage flannel zip-up. A classic red tartan plaid jacket, on a wooden hanger, hanging from a single nail, against a grey backdrop...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Red Ice Block Tongs
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of an antique pair of tongs, meant for use during ice fishing. Suspended from a small rope, hanging from a single nail, against a grey backdrop. Brushstrokes can be seen in the gray of the background, but are harder to make out on the subject. Morfis paints in an extremely refined, realist approach. Painting dimensions: 25 x 19 inches Framed dimensions: 30 x 24 x 1.5 inches Available at Grenning Gallery. BIOGRAPHY John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Dad's Hand Drill
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
This is an oil painting, in the style of "Trompe l-oeil" of an antique hand drill, on a grey background. Painted by American contemporary painter, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Linen, Panel, Oil

The Oar Locks
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted from life in his connecticut studio, John Moris paints two metal oar locks. These tools are normally attached to the sides of a row-boat, and lock in the oars with which a sailor would row. Hanging fro a tiny metal nail, dangling from a small white thread, before an off-white, monochromatic backdrop. Framed in a simple black frame, as pictured. Frame dimensions are 24 x 20 inches. Painting dimensions are 19 x 15 inches. John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Yellow Plug on Cedar Shake
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

2010s American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Meriden Cutlery 1870" contemporary realist painting antique tool Trompe L'oeil
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetica...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bed
Located in New York, NY
Signed at lower right: COLLINS '08 A leading figure in the contemporary revival of classical painting, Jacob Collins was born and received his formal training in New York, and also ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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Please see accompanying video. We are a 1stdibs Platinum Seller with 100% 5-star reviews. One cannot appreciate this painting on a computer screen; in real life, it is absolutely amazing. Because you cannot appreciate it on a computer screen, our gallery has a unique policy. When purchasing from us, the buyer has sixty days to determine if they want to keep the artwork. If not, the buyer returns to piece to us for full refund, and we pay the shipping both ways! A collector should consider several factors when deciding from whom to purchase artwork online. Check the location of the seller. When one buys from a foreign seller, one also has to consider the problems of getting the piece through Customs. There are often delays and considerable fees to pay in order to import the item. When purchasing from us, we ship the same day and you receive it via FedEx the next day, no problems or hassles. When one purchases from an auction house, one pays a buyer’s premium of anywhere from 23% to 28% over the “hammer price”. So when one “wins” an auction for $20,000, the actual price paid is more like $25,000. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price agreed to is the price paid by the buyer, no hidden fees. Secondly, when one purchases from an auction house, the buyer pays the packing and shipping fee, which are usually exorbitant. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price includes packing and shipping. Thirdly, when one purchases from an auction house, the sale is final. If one receives the piece and is not 100% satisfied with it, there is nothing the buyer can do about it. They are stuck with it. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the buyer has sixty days to determine if they want to keep it. If not, the buyer returns to piece to us for full refund, and we pay the shipping both ways. 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Previously Available Items
My Blue Plug
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Morfis creates his signature tromp-l'oeil still life. His "blue plug" hangs on a small nail against a blue/grey background. Framed dimensions: 18.5 x 14.5 inches
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Johnnys Red Devil
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A tromp-l'oeil oil painting of a fishing hook hanging on wall. Framed dimensions: 18 x 13.5 inches Artist Bio John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

When the Wind Dies
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An elegant tromp-l'oeil depiction of an old boat propeller hanging from a wall. ARTIST BIO John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Toot Toot Shovel
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
John Morfis, known for his interior realist paintings, depicts an antique child's shovel hanging from a light blue wall. Morfis is able to unlock a sense of nostalgia in this scene w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Linen, Panel, Oil

Toot Toot Shovel
Toot Toot Shovel
H 18 in W 12 in D 0.5 in
"Sailboat Beach Shovel" tromp l'oeil still life of child's old-school toy
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil painting of a child's shovel hanging on a wall. The object seems to pop off the canvas. Framed dimensions: 23.5 x 17.5 inches Artist Bio: John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Little Spatula
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Morfis paints a tromp l'oeil spataula hanging on a hook from the blue wall that fills the composition. Such a simple object is raised to importance by being the only (very detailed) subject of the scene. Framed dimensions: 21.5 x 15.5 inches Artist Bio: John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Panel, Linen, Oil

Antique Slide Bobber
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil depiction of a fishing gadget hanging from a hook on the blue wall that is the backdrop for the entire canvas. A small utilitarian object elevated to academic realist painting. Framed dimensions: 18.5 x 15.5 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Panel, Linen, Oil

Bouy on Dark Blue
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil oil painting of a blue and white buoy on a dark blue background. The buoy is dramatically lit, casting a shadow on the dark background. The rope attached to the buoy ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Bouy on Dark Blue
Bouy on Dark Blue
H 40 in W 26 in D 0.5 in
Bolton Lake Canoe Paddle
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A trompe l'oeil oil painting of a paddle hanging upon two nails. The highly realistic paddle has a water roughened bottom edge while the handle still shines with polish. Morfis chose...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

What Jetty? (damaged prop)
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Uncle's Gold Key
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a gold antique key, hanging from a nail, against a grey background. Painted in the realist style, a trompe l'oeil, or to trick the eye. Brushstrokes can be found i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil

Granny's Key
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of an antique key, hanging from a single nail, against a grey backdrop. Painted in the style of realism, Morfis executed the key in a hyperreal format. It looks as th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen, Panel

Granny's Key
Granny's Key
H 12 in W 10 in D 1 in

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.

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