Still-life Paintings
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Oil, Linen
Artist Comments
Refined elegance exudes from a bottle of Macallan Terra, a rich amber whisky poured into a tasting glass, and a finely rolled cigar. Warm tones and soft textu...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Still-life Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
1980s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Linen, Oil
20th Century Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Old Masters Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Modern Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Paper, Pastel
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Modern Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
Artist Comments
Artist Jo Galang says this piece was inspired by a lovely bouquet she received from her son and his girlfriend on Mother's Day. "It was so beautiful, and the ...
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Analytic Cubist Still-life Paintings
Oil
1980s Photorealist Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century American Modern Still-life Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 19th Century English School Still-life Paintings
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A banjo rests on a sunlit step beside a glass of wine and a bouquet of flowers. A weathered wooden door and cracked wall behind it add rustic charm. Rich, class...
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil
20th Century Still-life Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Paper
Early 20th Century American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board, Gouache
Early 20th Century Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
1950s American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Cardboard, Paste, Tissue Paper
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil
1990s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 19th Century Old Masters Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil
Early 1900s Fauvist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1910s Fauvist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
2010s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Paper
Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Masonite, Oil
Artist Comments
Inspired by the vibrant wildflowers of spring, artist Lisa Elley captures the dramatic beauty of poppies in full bloom. Painted entirely with a palette knife, t...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s American Realist Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Still-life Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1940s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Illustration Board, Linen
1930s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Realist Still-life Paintings
Charcoal
Early 20th Century Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil, Canvas
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.