Still-life Paintings
1990s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Gouache
Artist Comments
Flowers bloom in an urban setting, offering a reprieve from the hustle and bustle. Artist Natalie George captures a patch of florals on a city street in vibra...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, House Paint, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Pastel, Acrylic, Asphaltum
Artist Comments
The artwork evokes a vibrant garden full of spring colors, capturing the renewed energy of nature. Splashes of turquoise, yellow, and red suggest wildflowers ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Fiberboard
1960s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Paper
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Watercolor, Laid Paper
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Pastel
2010s Abstract Geometric Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Oil
1980s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board, Canvas
2010s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Paper, Oil
20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Pastel
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A cluster of pink hydrangeas arranged in a clear rounded vase in full bloom. Artist Nicole Lamothe painted this piece in alla-pr...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Pigment, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Pigment
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Geometric Still-life Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
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.