$1,484
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 0.79 in
Crocuses, Belgian Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
100% linen canvas with high-quality oil. The painting technique has many layers. Irina Trushkova is a
Canvas, Oil
$2,104
H 15.75 in W 16.93 in D 0.79 in
Narcissus. Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning spring narcissus are placed in a transparent vase. The bright yellow flowers create a vivid color contrast against the silvery blue background focusing the viewer's ey...
Canvas, Oil, Lacquer
$2,690
H 18.9 in W 23.63 in D 0.79 in
Apple season, Original oil still life by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
The style of this painting is inspired by the Holland masters of the 17th century. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes contemporary realism. I tr...
Oil
$2,747
H 22.05 in W 18.9 in D 0.79 in
Oriental jug. Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
Light is the main thing in still life “ Oriental jug”. I like how objects light up from warm light. And the cold reflection from above gives a gentle interweaving of warm and cold s...
Canvas, Oil
$2,455
H 16.93 in W 18.9 in D 0.79 in
Still Life with Quinces And Candlestick. Classical Oil Painting Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
many layers. Signed to verso. Irina Trushova is a professional hyperrealistic artist located in
Canvas, Oil
$1,344
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 0.79 in
On the table, Original Realist Still-life Oil painting by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
The picture is painted on a quality 100% linen canvas with an oil color of high quality. The painting technique is many-layer. "I love the way the silver and glass objects are reflec...
Oil
$2,025
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.58 in
Glass and Lemons - original realism still life oil painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery and online. In Glass and Lemons, Irina Trushkova presents a luminous arrangement of citrus fruits
Canvas, Oil
$2,025
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.58 in
Lime Juice - original modern realism still life oil painting - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
Gallery and online. Irina Trushkova’s Lime Juice is a masterful still-life painting that captures the
Canvas, Oil
$2,430
H 18.9 in W 20.87 in D 1.19 in
Still life with citrus-original realism oil painting for sale- contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
painting by the talented artist Irina Trushkova. Executed on canvas in the style of contemporary realism
Canvas, Oil
Fromage
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting captures a still life scene viewed from above, inviting you to explore its intimate details. At the center, a wooden board showcases a variety of cheeses, ...
Canvas, Oil
Pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
The serene ceramic jar anchors the composition, creating a quiet dialogue between matte surfaces and glossy fruit. The carefully draped striped tablecloth introduces rhythm and movem...
Canvas, Oil
Small garden. Dahlia
Located in Zofingen, AG
This composition suggests a garden gathered and brought inside, captured in a rare moment of perfect balance. The interplay of pinks and golds creates a harmonious, almost musical r...
Canvas, Oil
Quiet day
Located in Zofingen, AG
A poised still life rendered in luminous oil, where light glides across a draped table, revealing the tender gleam of porcelain and the play of silken folds. Two white jugs, a cup a...
Canvas, Oil
Lilac
Located in Zofingen, AG
This oil painting presents an opulent bouquet of lilacs in full bloom, arranged in a softly rounded ceramic vase. Cascading clusters of white, lavender, and deep violet blossoms fill...
Canvas, Oil
Fruits hidden from autumn
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting was created after a September trip to Alsace. During a walk, I noticed beautiful green fruits — not yet ripe, framed by dark leaves. They seemed to have been taken from ...
Canvas, Oil
Berries in a golden bowl
Located in Zofingen, AG
The scene is set with a quiet reverence—a simple golden bowl, brimming with the last treasures of the season. These are not just fruits; they are memories of sunlight, gathered and p...
Canvas, Oil
Floral
Located in Zofingen, AG
This exquisite painting showcases a vibrant bouquet of bearded carnations, bursting with rich pink-red colors and intricate details. Each flower is depicted with delicate, fringed p...
Canvas, Oil
Daffodils in a milk jug
Located in Zofingen, AG
These daffodils picked in my garden set in a milk jug. The various shades of yellow-white color and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of flowers. The blue p...
Canvas, Oil
Japanese cherry. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. My intention was to keep tenderness and fragility of flowers, a ...
Canvas, Oil
Magnolia. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning magnolia placed in a transparent vase. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers and capture the reactions of light with glass. The medium used is oi...
Canvas, Oil
Lemons. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Lemons” is an ode to the simple pleasures of life, inviting viewers to appreciate the inherent beauty in everyday objects. The central place is occupied by a plate of lemons with le...
Canvas, Oil
Oysters and lemon
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view, strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate...
Canvas, Oil
Window
Located in Zofingen, AG
The window opens to a pastel-hued view of city at sunset. The vibrant flowers on the windowsill contrast beautifully with the soft pastel tones of the background. The blending of col...
Canvas, Oil
An apple every day
Located in Zofingen, AG
I love the way the objects are reflected on each other and the subtle warm and cool color throughout. The strong light vibrates on porcelain and glass. A dark background helps to rev...
Canvas, Oil
Still life with yellow milk jug and pears
Located in Zofingen, AG
I tried to find the color harmony of red-green pears and bright yellow milk jug. The shape of the jug echoes the shape of pears and the drapery, giving a unified movement and dynam...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
Cup of coffee and tangerine
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Cup of coffee and tangerine” is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. The style of the painting is inspired by the Holland masters of the 17th cen...
Canvas, Oil
Flowering branches in a white mug
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Flowering branches in a white mug” is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty of spring blossom. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a...
Oil
Cyclamens
Located in Zofingen, AG
Cyclamens picked in my garden set in a transparent vase. The various shades of pink and the choice of details made it possible to convey the beauty of these flowers. My intention was...
Canvas, Oil
Chinese vase
Located in Zofingen, AG
The flowers picked in my garden set in Chinese vase. The various shades of pink color of the flower and their shiny leaves inspire me to create this work. My intention was to keep te...
Oil
Nasturtiums
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Nasturtiums" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this summer flower. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exu...
Oil
Porcelain
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Porcelain” is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of things around us in everyday life. All these porcelain things that appeared in my workshop b...
Canvas, Oil
What the rose tell me
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Roses" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this luxurious flower. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes ...
Canvas, Oil
Basket with tangerines
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Basket with tangerines” is a work that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this luscious fruit. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this m...
Oil
Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Light" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty of apple blossom. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a contemporary realism infuse...
Oil
Lilac
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Lilac” is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this spring flower. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a c...
Oil
Still life with samovar
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Still life with samovar" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of things around us in everyday life. The main objects, the teapot and two cup ho...
Oil
Coffee cup on pink tablecloth
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Coffee cup on pink tablecloth" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of things around us in everyday life. Painted with great precision and a ke...
Oil
Still life with milk jug and lemon
Located in Zofingen, AG
A dark background helps to reveal the shape of jug. The strong light vibrates on lemon and glass. The blue pattern on the jug and multiple reflections from objects make the work more...
Oil
Cherry summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Scattered cherry on the metal plate create a vivid contrast against the white tablecloth focusing the viewer's eye towards the center of the composition. The various shades of red a...
Oil
White peonies
Located in Zofingen, AG
The contrast of the white against the dark background and subtle light on peonies attracted me together with the focus on color harmony. The style of the painting is inspired by the ...
Oil
Reflection
Located in Zofingen, AG
I love the way the silver and porcelain objects are reflected and the subtle warm and cool color throughout. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant col...
Oil
Sakura
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cherry branch is placed in a smooth, neutral space. The various shades of pink color of flowers with its thin delicate petals inspire me to create this work. My intention was to ke...
Oil
Anemones
Located in Zofingen, AG
Anemones are one of my favorite flowers. A vase of the vibrant red flowers is placed in a smooth, neutral space. My intention was to keep tenderness and preciousness of flowers, a qu...
Oil
Quinces
Located in Zofingen, AG
Since my study time at the Krasnodar Art Academy I’ve always had a love for still life. It is especially his quiet simplicity that attracts me together with the focus on composition,...
Oil
Sold
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 1.38 in
Lilies of the valley, Delicate Still-life Oil Painting by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
A vase with lilies of the valley is placed on a dark neutral background. My intention was to keep tenderness and preciousness of flowers, a quality I wanted to preserve. Contemporar...
Oil
Sunday morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Sunday morning” is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate tex...
Canvas, Oil
Apple season
Located in Zofingen, AG
The style of this painting is inspired by the Holland masters of the 17th century. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a contemporary realism. I ...
Oil
Hyacinths
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Hyacinths" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty of this spring flower . Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a contemporary real...
Oil
The last chrysanthemums of autumn
Located in Zofingen, AG
Beautiful modest chaste chrysanthemum is the embodiment of the triumph of autumn. The flowers are placed in a glass vase on a dark background. The various shades of pink color of ch...
Canvas, Oil
Favorite lilies of the valley
Located in Zofingen, AG
A quiet celebration of spring’s most delicate bloom — lily of the valley. Elegant and timeless, this still life painting adds a gentle touch of nature’s grace to any interior. The co...
Canvas, Oil
Small garden. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Small garden” is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty of spring blossom. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes a contemporary realism...
Canvas, Oil
Peonies
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Peonies” is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this spring flower. The contrast of the light pink against the dark background and subtle ligh...
Oil, Canvas
Roses
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Roses" is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this luxurious flower. Painted with great precision and a keen eye for detail, this work exudes...
Oil
Spring mood
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning spring daffodils placed in several vases. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers and capture the reactions of light with glass. The medium used i...
Oil
Oysters with blue striped drapery
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view, strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 0.71 in
Lemon juice, Original Realist Still-life Oil Painting by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
The contrast of the yellow against the dark background and subtle light on fruits created this work. I love the way the objects are reflected on each other and the subtly warm and co...
Oil
Sold
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.71 in
Gift, Realist Modern Still life oil painting with daffodils by Irina Trushkova
Located in Zofingen, AG
These stunning spring daffodils are placed in a transparent vase and tied with a silk ribbon as a reminder of the gift. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers an...
Oil
Sold
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.58 in
Summer fruits-original realism modern still life oil painting- contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Irina Trushkova's "Summer Fruits " exemplifies contemporary realism within the realm of
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 19.3 in W 25.6 in D 1.58 in
Florence -original realism still life fruit painting oil - contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
Bio: Irina Trushkova, a gifted artist, embarked on her artistic journey by enrolling in the Faculty
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 13.78 in W 13.78 in D 1.58 in
Lemon water- original modern realism still life oil painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
the talented artist Irina Trushkova. Executed on canvas in the style of contemporary realism, this
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 22.84 in W 29.14 in D 1.97 in
Still life with Pears- original sill life realism painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
Bio: Irina Trushkova, a gifted artist, was born in Russia and began her artistic journey by enrolling
Canvas, Oil
Lilies of the valley in an antique glass
Located in Zofingen, AG
A bouquet of lilies of the valley placed in antique glass on a dark neutral background. My intention was to keep tenderness and preciousness of flowers, a quality I wanted to preserv...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
Oysters in Etretat
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view and strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which captures the vibrant color, delicate textu...
Canvas, Oil
Oysters with blue striped drapery
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view and strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which captures the vibrant color, delicate textu...
Canvas, Oil
I'll make lemonade
Located in Zofingen, AG
“I’ll Make Lemonade” is a warm, expressive still life celebrating simplicity and quiet joy. The composition centers on a bowl of ripe, sunlit lemons, painted with rich texture and na...
Oil, Canvas
Garden peonies
Located in Zofingen, AG
A lush bouquet of soft pink peonies is gracefully arranged in a clear glass vase, set against a deep cherry-hued background. Delicate petals have gently fallen onto a weathered woode...
Canvas, Oil
Snowdrops. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Snowdrops are the first flowers that appear in my garden. Their fragility and incredible tenderness are amazing. The various shades of white color of the flower, the reflections of t...
Canvas, Oil
In an embrace. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. My intention was to keep tenderness and fragility of flowers, a ...
Oil, Canvas
Apples and limes. Original oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Apples and limes” is an ode to the simple pleasures of life, inviting viewers to appreciate the inherent beauty in everyday objects. I tried to find the color harmony of yellow - gr...
Canvas, Oil
Blueberries and milk
Located in Zofingen, AG
This is a charming breakfast still life featuring fresh blueberries served on an ornate blue and white patterned plate, accompanied by a glass of milk. The composition is set on a wh...
Canvas, Oil
Oysters
Located in Zofingen, AG
The bird’s eye view, strong light on the mother-of-pearl of oysters and folds create this image. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color, delicate...
Oil
Breakfast
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work evokes the past, both in technique and in subject. I love the way the objects are reflected on the silver plate and the subtle warm and cool color throughout. Contemporary ...
Oil
Still life with pomegranates
Located in Zofingen, AG
One of the works in a series of small still lives to play with form, color and texture. The beautiful color of pomegranates and their texture inspired me to create this work. The wor...
Oil
Still life with pink drapery
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Still life with pink drapery” is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the simplest of things. The medium used is oil on canvas, which allows to capture the vibrant color...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
Japanese cherry
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Japanese cherry“ is a painting that pays homage to the natural beauty and timeless elegance of this flowering tree. While passing a blooming cherry tree this pink illuminated by t...
Canvas, Oil
$6,536Sale Price|24% Off
H 19.89 in W 24.02 in
Still life with a Chinese bowl by Jean Grimal
By Jean Grimal
Located in Gent, VOV
Jean Grimal is a true 20th century discovery. This breathtaking piece is a gorgeous example of his mastery as an artist. He beautifully creates chiaroscuro in this painting. The way ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000 / item
H 8.5 in Dm 17.5 in
Vintage Inspired Handcrafted Fluted Farmhouse Porcelain Pendant Light
By DBO Home
Located in Sharon, CT
Classic, elegant, with a perfectly imperfect touch. We just love our new porcelain Parasol Fluted Pendants. Inspired by a vintage pie cover, we designed them to hang over our kitchen...
Brass
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.2 in W 37.8 in D 0.79 in
Apples and Lemons by Edith LUTZ - Oil on Canvas - 64x96 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Edith Lutz-Romani (1894-1983) was an Austrian painter active during the 20th century. Although detailed information about her life is limited, she was born in 1894 and developed her ...
Canvas, Oil
$918Sale Price|20% Off
H 8.25 in W 10 in
Victorian Still Life Oil Painting of Fruit Peaches Grapes on Platter
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Still Life of Fruit by Frederick J Stanier (1830-c.1912) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 8.25 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: a few minor scuffs and m...
Oil, Canvas
Still Life
By John White Alexander
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
John White Alexander's graceful depictions of beautiful women earned him critical acclaim both in Europe and America. However, his career did not get off to an easy start—Alexander b...
Canvas, Oil
$5,086
H 9.85 in W 11.82 in D 1.97 in
Wedgewood Eturia with Anemones- 21st Century Dutch Still-life painting
By Ingrid Smuling
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Ingrid Smuling Wedgewood Eturia with Anemones 25 x 30 cm olieverf, frame included in price. (Size with frame 34 x 39 cm) Ingrid Smuling, the Grand Lady of Still life painting is st...
Oil, Wood Panel
'Daffodil' Table Lamp by Tiffany Studios
By Tiffany Studios
Located in London, GB
‘Daffodil’ table lamp by Tiffany Studios American, c. 1910 Height 56cm, diameter 40cm Designed and hand-made by the artisans from the renowned Tiffany Studios (1902-1932), this ‘Daf...
Bronze, Lead
$769Sale Price|40% Off
H 9.5 in W 7.5 in D 1 in
Still Life of a Vase of Pink Red & White Roses by 20th Century American Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Still Life Painting of a Vase of Pink, Red & White Roses by 20th Century American Artist, Robert Cox (1934-2001) Art measures 7.5 x 9.5 inches (unframed) Framing by arrangement ...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$675
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.12 in
Original-Magic Bell-British Awarded Artist-Abstract Expression-oil on canvas
Located in London, GB
In her 2024 series, "The Weaver," Shizico explores forms, layers, and time onto canvases. Applying the format of diptychs and triptychs, she creates lyrical narratives, capturing the...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
"The Last" Citrus Elegance Still Life Oil Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
"The Last," a 2013 oil on canvas by Victoria Novak, is a testament to the timeless beauty and elegance of still life painting. Measuring 19.70 x 39.40 inches and framed to 21.70 x 41...
Canvas, Oil
$7,074
H 15.75 in W 19.69 in D 1.19 in
Contemporary peaches still life, painting delicate straw yellow and pink tones
By Gianluca Corona
Located in Milan, IT
The exquisite still life can be paired with another still life with apples (symbolizing spring and autumn) also published on 1stdibs. Gianluca Corona expresses the values of the mo...
Wood, Oil
Unavailable|$3,500
H 20 in W 16 in D 2 in
Still Life in Delft by Ginny Williams Still Life Oil Painting with Lemon, Vase
By Ginny Williams
Located in Atlanta, GA
We were immediately drawn to the thoughtfully painted work, the clever titles and the rich, deep hues. And when we got to know the artist, we were equally charmed by her delightful w...
Oil, Linen
$772Sale Price|40% Off
H 27.56 in W 19.69 in D 0.6 in
White lilies" floral still life realism of the Volskya Liliyaily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"White lilies" floral still life realism of the Volsky Lily. The painting is done in oil on canvas. It is written in 3 layers. Flowers look very impressive on a dark background. Lil...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
$877Sale Price|50% Off
H 19.69 in W 27.56 in D 0.79 in
Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Liliya Volskaya
Located in Zofingen, AG
Purple lace of white peonies" realistic still life by Lilia Volskaya. Flowers are the ultimate delight in beauty, which is flawless. The slight curves of lines, tones and semitones, ...
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
Still life with a pearl necklace, oil on canvas
Located in PARIS, FR
Gustave DURAND (1863 – 1938), Still life with a pearl necklace, late 19th century – early 20th century, oil on canvas, signed upper right, 60 x 73 cm Good general condition of the c...
Oil
Pink Peonies, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Large pink peonies bloom, their bright yellow stamens adding a vibrant contrast. Deep green leaves curl around each blossom, enhancing their lush beauty. Painte...
Acrylic
Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world.
Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history.
By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.
Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.
Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.
Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art 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.