$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
The Sea Shell - Still life Painting - By Marc Zimmerman
By Marc Zimmerman
Located in Carmel, CA
The Sea Shell - Still life Paintings - Abstract Geometric By Marc Zimmerman This masterpiece is exhibited in the Zimmerman Gallery, Carmel CA.
Oil
Three shells. Square still-life painting, impressionism
By Dmitry Evtushenko
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting depicts three sea shells against a light drapery background. The entire composition of the painting is a single color space consisting of silver, mother-of-pearl, pearl ...
Canvas, Oil
Geranium and Abalone Shell Still Life
By Rose Campbell
Located in Soquel, CA
Still life with geraniums and abalone shells by Rose Lillian Campbell (American, 1888-1965).
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Found objects - 21st Century Contemporary Still-life painting with Shells
By Erik Zwaga
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
This still-life is made by Dutch painter Erik Zwaga. The painter started in the style of the romantic school, Erik Zwaga began to search more and more for his own visual language...
Oil, Wood Panel
Still Life Watercolor of a Conch Shell
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage underwater still life of a conch shell in an ocean setting signed S. Martin, presented under glass in a painted wood frame.
Watercolor
Memories Of Summer. Impressionism, oil painting, still life, flowers, shell, hat
By Anna Shesterikova
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting is a warm and nostalgic still life, conveying the atmosphere of a serene summer day. A straw hat, wild flowers in a vase and a seashell give the viewer a feeling of pea...
Canvas, Oil
Memories Of Summer. Impressionism, oil painting, still life, flowers, shell, hat
By Anna Shesterikova
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting is a warm and nostalgic still life, conveying the atmosphere of a serene summer day. A straw hat, wild flowers in a vase and a seashell give the viewer a feeling of pea...
Canvas, Oil
Three Shells, realistic still life sea shell subtle grey, tan composition
By Douglas Newton
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A still life painting of three sea shells from my collection.
Oil
Still Life with Shell and White Roses, Colorful Oil Painting, 60x70 cm
By Simon Kozhin
Located in Zofingen, AG
This still life painting is a masterful composition of texture and color. In the center of the composition is a bright blue vase, decorated with oriental floral patterns, in which st...
Canvas, Oil
$3,200
Shell Bowl (Realist Still Life of Iridescent Shell Against a Stormy Landscape)
By Ann Getsinger
Located in Hudson, NY
Shell Bowl (Realist Still Life of Iridescent Shell Against a Stormy Landscape) Made is 2024, by Berkshire based artist Ann Getsinger oil on linen, 16 x 12 inches Signed, lower right...
Linen, Oil
Continuum - Oil painting on 23k gold leaf, still life, nest, shell, prism, clock
Located in Denton, TX
Continuum by Pam Burnley-Schol is an oil painting on 23k gold leaf, featuring a seashell nestled in a birds' nest, with an antique clock, prism and dragonfly surrounding the nest. O...
Gold Leaf
$597Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life with Shells and Yellow Birds French Modernist Gouache
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Each brushstroke feels animated, suggesting light shimmering on feathers, shells, and leaves. It carries echoes of the Mediterranean still-life tradition, yet remains firmly within t...
Gouache
$586Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life with Fish Shells and Fishing Net French Modernist Gouache
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Still Life with Fish Shells and Fishing Net French Modernist Gouache Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 19.25 x 22.25 inches (height x wid...
Gouache
Gold Shell Cup Tower, Oil on Canvas, Contemporary Still Life, 24x12
By Olga Antonova
Located in New York, NY
Original oil painting by Olga Antonova Olga Antonova (b. 1956, Volgograd, Russia) completed her classical art training at the Ilya Repin Institute of Painting in St. Petersburg, Ru...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Small Study in White" - surrealist still life, lace, skull, patterns, shell
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features the colors of the rainbow as they appear in white objects. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Atlanta...
Linen, Oil
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
'Still Life with Conch Shell', Large Mid-Century American Post Impressionist Oil
By Callanan
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
A substantial, Post-Impressionist oil still-life showing a view of various objects including fruit, a glass bottle and a sea-shell assembled on a draped table-top. A dynamic and vibr...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Small Study in White 3" - surrealist still life, lace, skull, patterns, shell
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features the colors of the rainbow as they appear in white objects. Guy Robinson is inspired by the work of Paul Klee, Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Atlanta...
Linen, Oil
"Shell 16, " Oil Painting
By Gregory Block
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's "Shell 16" is an oil on board created in 2019 depicting an illuminated shell floating in a black background. About the artist: Gregory was born in Kansas City, Mi...
Oil
"Shell 18, " Oil Painting
By Gregory Block
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's "Shell 18" is an oil on board created in 2019 depicting an illuminated shell floating in a black background. About the artist: Gregory was born in Kansas City, Mi...
Oil
"Shell 4 " Oil Painting
By Gregory Block
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's (US based) "Shell 4" is an oil on board created in 2020 depicting a shell floating above glistening waves. About the artist: Gregory was born in Kansas City, Miss...
Oil
"Shell 8, " Oil Painting
By Gregory Block
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's "Shell 8" is an oil on board created in 2019 depicting an illuminated shell floating in a black background. About the artist: Gregory was born in Kansas City, Mis...
Oil
Shell 3 , Oil Painting
By Gregory Block
Located in Denver, CO
Gregory Block's "Shell 3" is an oil on board created in 2020 depicting a shell floating above glistening waves. About the artist: Gregory was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 19...
Oil
"Clam Shells and Their Shadows" Oil Painting
By Emma Hirst
Located in Denver, CO
Emma Hirst (US based) "Clam Shells and Their Shadows" is an oil painting that depicts an interior still life with six clam shells laid out on a white surface with their long cast sha...
Oil, Panel
$348Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life with Shells
By Les Anderson
Located in Soquel, CA
Whimsical still life of various shells, fruit, and bottles, including a wine bottle with a label stating the artist's name and crude self-portrait, by Les (Leslie Luverne) Anderson (...
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Shell
By Nikos Kanarelis
Located in New York, NY
Βetween 1999 and 2004 he studied at the painting department of the Athens School of Fine Arts.
Oil
”Pearl” realist oil painting, oyster shell & rare gemstone, neutral toned
By Terry Elkins
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by Terry Elkins (b. 1951, Vicksburg, Mississippi) of a humble mollusk and it's rare and beloved offering, a perfectly round, white pearl. A chalky white ground resem...
Linen, Oil
Pocket Conker and Shell 2 c, Original Painting, Realist, Autumnal art
By Dani Humberstone
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Conker and Shell 2 c is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque...
Canvas, Oil
"Calcium" (2025) by Patrick Nevins, Oil On Board Shell Painting
By Patrick Nevins
Located in Denver, CO
In recent years, he has found a real interest in still life and the genre of Trompe' l'oeil.
Oil, Board
Conch Shell, realistic oil painting blue - grey w earth tones
By Douglas Newton
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mr. Newton says, "A conch shell and two smaller shells, a scallop shell and a clam shell. Lit from the left. The conch shell is an amazing piece of work from nature. No human could ...
Oil, Canvas
Rockaway Shell
By James Torlakson
Located in Burlingame, CA
Rockaway Shell - an iconic American painting depicting a Shell Gasoline Station by James Torlakson who is known for his photorealist oil paintings, watercolors and aquatint intaglio ...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary Conus Marmoreus shell lying on a stone fine oil painting
By Gianluca Corona
Located in Milan, IT
A marvellous, tiny shell, commonly known as a marbled cone, lies on a marble stone, almost at the edge.
Wood, Oil
$467Sale Price|28% Off
Original Oil Painting of a Shell and Blossoms on Crimson Fabric
By Roland Pichard
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Original Oil Painting of a Shell and Blossoms on Crimson Fabric Artist: Roland Pichard Medium: Oil on oil paper, mounted on card Size: 13.5 (height) x 10.75 (width), (Inclu...
Oil
$8,160Sale Price|20% Off
Shells Rustic Coastal Painting with Acrylic on Canvas 50 x 50"
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Shabby Chic White Shells, Original Rustic Shells Coastal Painting with Acrylic on Canvas Acrylic on Stretched Canvas SPECIFICATIONS: - Artist-grade canvas. - 1" deep wooden support ...
Acrylic
Shells Rustic Coastal Painting with Acrylic on Canvas 50 x 50"
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Shabby Chic White Shells, Original Rustic Shells Coastal Painting with Acrylic on Canvas Acrylic on Stretched Canvas SPECIFICATIONS: - Artist-grade canvas. - 1" deep wooden support ...
Acrylic
Untitled, Still Life of Shell
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled, Still Life of Shell Graphite on paper, 1945-1951 Signed lower right in pencil "Bisttram" (see photo) Condition: Excellent Sheet size: 9.63 x 7 .5 inches EMIL BISTTRAM (189...
Graphite
$4,000
The Shell, oil painting on copper, Style of Realism, Florence, Sound of Sea
Located in Houston, TX
Shell is inspired by the moment you put your ear to a shell and hear the sound f the sea. If you are silent and close your eyes and believe, you may hear it. The Painting is experime...
Copper
Yellow Basket with Shell
Located in New York, NY
Still Life depicting blue and white porcelain with seashell and basket. Signed by the artist. Jean Hannon grew up in Boston and attended the School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Bosto...
Canvas, Oil
Miracle of the Great Shell
By Kevin Sloan
Located in Denver, CO
In a time of profound environmental change, Kevin Sloan’s images depict rare beauty intertwined with puzzlement. Part art, part artifice, his painstaking vignettes of animals posed i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Shells, realistic image cool subtle blues and earth tones
By Douglas Newton
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Realist painter Doug Newton says, "Inspired by my collection of sea shells. The subtle colors and textures of the shells are challenging to capture in oil paint. I paint directly fro...
Oil, Canvas
Charles Betremieux (1919-1997) - Mid 20th Century Oil, Orchids and Shell
By Charles Betremieux
Located in Corsham, GB
A vibrant and expressive still life by the artist Charles Betremieux (1919–1997), depicting bright orchids arranged in a speckled ceramic vase, with a large conch shell placed beside...
Oil
"Nautilus Shell" Original Artwork, 24kt Gold on Museum Glass
By Kate Breakey
Located in Denver, CO
About the artist: Kate Breakey is internationally known for her large-scale, richly hand-colored photographs including her acclaimed series of luminous portraits of birds, flowers a...
Gold Leaf
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
Cobo Shells by Fernand Blondin - Oil on Canvas - 54x81 cm
By Fernand Blondin
Located in Geneva, CH
Fernand Blondin (1887-1967) was a Swiss painter and teacher, celebrated for his depictions of idyllic rural life, interiors, female nudes, portraits, still-lifes, religious subjects ...
Canvas, Oil
Circle of Shells, Oil and Metal Leaf on Panel, 18x18 in, Framed
By Helen Oh
Located in Chicago, IL
"Circle of Shells" by Helen Oh is a contemplative composition that transforms a collection of seashells into an elegant meditation on light, memory, and materiality. Delicately rende...
Oil, Panel
$510Sale Price|20% Off
Seafood 1970's French Impressionist Signed Oil Lobster & Sea Shell
By Georges Bordonove
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Lobster signed by Georges Bordonave (French contemporary) oil painting on board, unframed dated 1979 board: 18 x 22 inches condition: very good provenance: from a large private colle...
Oil
Sea Shells – Blue & Gold
By Zama Vanessa Helder
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sea Shells – Blue & Gold, c. 1940s, watercolor on paper, signed upper left, 15 x 19 ¼ inches (image); title and artist’s name and address inscribed verso, presented in a newer glazed...
Paper, Watercolor
Jemma Jamie - 2025 Gouache, Sea Shell
Located in Corsham, GB
Signed with a monogram. Signed and dated verso. On paper. Image size: 38 x 29cm.
Gouache
Nineteenth Century Watercolor of Shells and Seaweed
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Unknown Artist (American, nineteenth century) Shells and Seaweed Watercolor on paper, 6 x 8 inches FRAMED: 11 x 13 inches
Paper, Watercolor
Still life with Shell
By Constantin Font
Located in Pasadena, CA
Constantin Font, born January 11, 1890 in Auch (Gers) and died in 1954 in Paris, is a French artist, painter of genre, nudes, landscapes, orientalist, sculptor and engraver. Outstand...
Oil
"Pearly Shell" (2025) Still-Life of Renaissance Armor, Oil Painting
By Elena Burykina
Located in Denver, CO
Elena Burykina's "Pearly Shell" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on panel. Artist Statement: Armor Attributed to Kolman Helmschmid German ca. 1525 and later The helmet, ...
Oil, Panel
Still Life Watercolor of a Conch Shell
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage underwater still life of a conch shell in an ocean setting signed S. Martin, presented under glass in a painted wood frame.
Paint
Schelpje Small Shell Still Life Oil Painting on Panel Dutch Realism In Stock
By Gerrit Wijngaarden
Located in Utrecht, NL
Schelpje Small Shell Still Life Oil Painting on Panel Dutch Realism In Stock Gerrit Wijngaarden (1936, Dedgum) is a self-taught artist.
Oil, Panel
Francis de Erdely Still Life with Skull and Shells
By Francis De Erdely 2
Located in Savannah, GA
Francis de Erdely (Hungary/California, 1904-1959) Still life with skull and shells, circa 1950 oil on canvas sight: 35 ½ by 19 ¼ inches Frame: 38 ½ by 22 ½ inches
Paint, Wood
Tad Cheyenne Schutt "Flowers and Shells" Original Still Life Watercolor
Located in San Francisco, CA
Tad Cheyenne Schutt "Flowers and Shells" original still life watercolor 20th century A remarkable original still life watercolor by noted Arizona artist Tad Cheyenne Schutt. Su...
Paper
$706Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life with Shell and Bust French Modernist Gouache Painting by Guy Nicod
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Description: This striking French modernist still life by Guy Nicod demonstrates the artist’s mastery of color, structure, and expressive balance.
Gouache
Sea Shells & Water Bottle on Lacquer Tray, Oil on Panel, Still Life Painting
By Helen Oh 1
Located in Chicago, IL
This delicately rendered still life painting presents the viewer with a collection of objects to contemplate.
Paint
Still Life with Helmet Shell and Mexican Glass, Original Oil on Panel, Framed
By Helen Oh 1
Located in Chicago, IL
A beautifully translucent Mexican glass sits in front of a large Helmet shell in this simple still life painting by artist Helen Oh.
Paint
Still Life with Bread, Shell and Eggs
By Amy Weiskopf
Located in New York, NY
Oil on linen, 20 x 26 in.
Oil
Still Life - Shell
By Gertrude Abercrombie
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
Presenting a Magical Realist still life of a shell and a “KP” sign by noted Jazz party impresario and Chicago art world eccentric, Gertrude Abercrombie.
Board, Oil
Unavailable
H 8 in W 10 in
Outerbanks Whelk Shell and Distaff Spindle, still-life, realism, oil painting
Located in Memphis, TN
Frankie was born in Landstuhl, Germany. Inspired by Civil War history, he began to draw and paint constantly at the age of 12. His appreciation of military service and his father's s...
Oil, Board
Unavailable
H 10 in W 10 in D 0.5 in
Sea Yarn, Sea shell, Surrealist, Small Oil Painting
Located in London, GB
Sea Yarn, 2021 Oil painting Sarah Rozell White captivates us with her stunning combination of bright and muted tones. She uses meticulously curated scenes combined with a lively sty...
Oil
Shell
Located in London, GB
Original Painting By Contemporary British Artist Siân Hopkinson.
Wood, Oil, Panel
The Shell
Located in Provincetown, MA
Nancy Ellen Craig was born in New York City and graduated from Bennington College and the Art Students League in New York before beginning her career in portraiture. Throughout her c...
Oil
Large Bowl of Shells
By McKenzie West
Located in Lexington, MA
Large Bowl of Shells by McKenzie West is a luminous oil painting that transforms a simple collection of seaside relics into a meditation on memory, materiality, and natural beauty. I...
Oil, Panel
Shells and Flowers
By Oliver Chaffee
Located in Provincetown, MA
This undated, whimsical floral dares the viewer to find patterns, and its two-dimensional presentation evokes native and indigenous art and the printmaking that flourished among New ...
Oil
Shell Can and Nautilus
Located in Woodbury, CT
The son of Louis Eyckmans, a painter and commercial artist, Stefaan was introduced to the tools of drawing and painting at an early age. During his student days, Stefaan was strongl...
Oil
The Sound of the Shell
By Paul Resika
Located in Provincetown, MA
Paul Resika was born in New York City in 1928. He began taking painting lessons at age nine, greatly encouraged by his Russian émigré mother. At twelve years old, he began studying w...
Oil
Unavailable
H 30 in W 30 in D 2.25 in
Cloisonne, Tortoise Shell, Crystal and Brass
By Sheldon Berkowitz
Located in Boston, MA
Pastel over watercolor on archival paper, 2019 Signed by the artist on lower right front. Framed 38 x 38 x 2.25 This is an original work of art by Sheldon Berkowitz. Berkowitz is a ...
Oil Pastel, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Still Life with Shell
By Willard Dixon
Located in Burlingame, CA
Old bottles with shell still life composition from American realist painter, Willard Dixon, who says "the charm of Still Life painting for the artist lies in the ability to manipulat...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 14.18 in W 17.72 in D 1.19 in
Shell -21st Century Contemporary Realistic Still life Painting of a Sea Shell
By Bart Koning
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Nevertheless, the originally Dutch artist finds this exhibition a new highlight in his beautiful career in his native country. His tranquil still lifes are not sleek and are meticul...
Oil, Wood Panel
Early Still Life of a Shell
By Kermit Oliver
Located in Houston, TX
Small, Hyper realistic image of a shell in the sand with water at the beach. Signed by the artist in the bottom right corner. Framed in a ordinate gold frame. Artist Biography: Kerm...
Acrylic
Still life with fishes and shell
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on canvas. With reference to the painting style (the intense realism expressed by shapes and colours and the skillful use of lights) and especially to the subject (marine iconogr...
Oil
Sold
H 12 in W 9 in
Sea Shell Still Life (Red), Original Oil Painting with Shells, Coins and Orb
By Helen Oh
Located in Chicago, IL
This artwork is framed in a simple walnut wood frame measuring H 13 x W 10 inches. Helen Oh Seashell Still Life (Red), 2018 oil on panel 12h x 9w in Helen Oh, b. 1962, Seoul, Korea...
Oil, Panel
Sold
H 12 in W 24 in D 2 in
Oyster Shells by Anne Harney, Horizontal Contemporary Still Life Beach Painting
By Anne Harney
Located in Atlanta, GA
Anne Harney is a representational painter beginning her work from observation and concluding with a mix of imagination. “I prefer to begin my work from life. My landscape paintings u...
Oil, Panel, Resin
Sold
H 24 in W 24 in
Composition with Two Shells - Original Still Life Oil Painting on Panel
By Helen Oh
Located in Chicago, IL
The simplicity of "Composition with Two Shells" is deceptive. The left cowrie shell is a specimen dating back 70 million years, the one one the right is a contemporary, revealing th...
Oil, Panel
Sold
H 9 in W 12 in
Nautilus and Abalone, Sea Shells Still Life, Original Oil Painting on Panel
By Helen Oh
Located in Chicago, IL
The two shells - a nautilus and an abalone - are beautiful in their simplicity in this still life by Helen Oh.
Oil, Panel
Still Life with fishes, bowl, basket and shell
Located in Milan, IT
Oil on canvas. With reference to the painting style (the intense realism expressed by shapes and colours and the skillful use of lights) and especially to the subject (marine iconogr...
Sold
H 20 in W 24 in D 2 in
Vintage American School Trompe L'Oeil Beach Shell Still Life Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school super realist still life of a shells. Oil on board, circa 1979. Signed. Displayed in a silver wood frame. Image, 19"L x 14.5"H, overall 24"L x 20"H.
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 17 in W 21 in D 2 in
Vintage American School Trompe L'Oeil Beach Shell Still Life Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school super realist still life of a shells. Oil on board, circa 1979. Signed. Displayed in a silver wood frame. Image, 15"L x 11"H, overall 21"L x 17"H.
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 24 in W 18 in
Still Life with Angel Wing Shells - Shell Collection w/ 23K Gold Leaf Backdrop
By Helen Oh
Located in Chicago, IL
Helen Oh Still Life with Angel Wing Shells oil and 23K gold leaf on panel 24h x 18w in 60.96h x 45.72w cm HOH019 Helen Oh, b. 1962, Seoul, Korea For several years I have been paint...
Gold Leaf
Sold
H 24 in W 22 in
"Just Another Vanitas" - surrealist still life, flowers, shells, apple, pattern
By Guy Robinson
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of green, purple and blue. This surrealist still life features flowers, an onion, a book of poetry and shells.
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 32 in W 22 in
Still life study of treasures, shells, jewelry , flowers, boxes, glass.
By Deborah Jones
Located in Woodbury, CT
Deborah Jones is a British artist born in 1921. Her lifelong preoccupation has been the delightful oils of dolls and teddy bears and the quirky backstreet antique shops, with their e...
Oil
Sold
H 35 in W 25 in
Still life study of treasures, dolls, shells, teddy , flowers, books, glass.
By Deborah Jones
Located in Woodbury, CT
Deborah Jones is a British artist born in 1921. Her lifelong preoccupation has been the delightful oils of dolls and teddy bears and the quirky backstreet antique shops, with their e...
Oil
Sold
H 31.11 in W 27.17 in
Still-Life with Shell Cup & Venetian Glass - 21st Century Contemporary Oil Paint
By Cornelis Le Mair
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Cornelis le Mair (Eindhoven, July 3rd 1944) is a Dutch painter. This Romantic painter is famous because of his 17th century paintings. As a child, Le Mair already developed a talent ...
Oil
Sold
H 13.19 in W 19.3 in
George Weissbort (1928-2013) - 20th Century Oil, Still Life of Shells & Fruit
By George Weissbort
Located in Corsham, GB
Still life, oil on canvas. Unsigned. (Provenance: Studio Sale, George Weissbort).
Oil
Sold
H 10.83 in W 13.78 in
George Weissbort (1928-2013) - 20th Century Oil, Still Life with Sea Shell
By George Goodwin Kilburne
Located in Corsham, GB
Still Life, oil on canvas. Unsigned. (Provenance: Studio Sale, George Weissbort).
Oil
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.
A hyperrealist canvas by Heinz Schönhammer transforms a café classic into an unforgettable still life.
A 2001 canvas turns forest into color and line — a confident gesture from a fiercely independent artist.
In Denver, a major new retrospective reveals how the painter’s devotion to ordinary life — and his fearless shifts in style — shaped modern art.
Only the best painter could suit the calculatedly extravagant Bertha Russell.
With a solo show at the Denver Art Museum and a commission from the Met, the Cree Canadian painter has become an international sensation.
After a two-year closure, they Yale Center for British Art opens its doors again, with all sorts of changes to its building and programming.
The Italian-American’s 2020 abstract painting “The Hoe” personifies his “art of not knowing.”
Get to know the key movements and artists who have influenced visual culture for more than a century.