An Introduction to Still Life

History of Still Life A Still Life is a work of art, a drawing or painting (usually) of a group of objects. Objects do not move, hence the word 'still'. In the past these objects tended to be flowers, fruit, and other kinds of food or dead animals - hence 'life'. The French for still life is 'nature morte', meaning 'dead nature'. You get the idea. Nowadays, though, still life can mean any objects small enough to be put in front of you, usually on a table.

Egyptians The Ancient Egyptians painted stacks of offerings for the gods, in temples or. Can you recognize any of the objects? You can see a basket of figs, grapes, bread, a leg of beef, duck, more meat, and a cucumber. Quite a feast for the gods.

There are many mosaics of objects you can see on the floors of villas or in museums, and wall paintings too - especially at Pompeii (the Roman town covered by ash in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD79). Greeks and Romans

16th and 17th Century Europe The Ambassadors 1533, Hans Holbein the Younger Christ at Emmaus Caravaggio 1601

Game and Floral Margareta Haverman, Dutch, active by 1716, died after 1750: A Vase of Flowers, oil on wood

Breakfast, Banquet Meals Willem Claesz Heda (artist) Dutch, 1593/1594 - 1680 Banquet Piece with Mince Pie, 1635 Clara Peeters: Still-life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit and Pretzels, oil on panel

Dutch Vanitas Still Life Vqnitas Still Life with Portrait David Bailly Vanitas Still Life 1603

Trompe l’Oeil A French term literally meaning "trick the eye." Sometimes called illusionism, it's a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism. John F. Peto: Office Board, oil on canvas, 24 3/8 x 19 7/8 in. 1885 Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dutch, 1627-1678), Trompe-l'oeil, 1664

19th and 20th Century A move towards abstraction Paul Cézanne: Still-life with Bowl of Fruit, oil on canvas, 1893–4 12 Sunflowers in a Vase 1888 Van Gogh

Georges Braque: Candlestick and Playing Cards on a Table, oil on canvas, Picasso Still Life with Fruit Dish on a Table (1914-1915)

Photorealism Audrey Flack

STILL LIFE HISTORY AND DRAWING

Value to Form

Tonal Shading with pressure

Stippling Shading with dots

Hatching Shading with one type of line

Cross-hatching

Contour Line Describes the interior and exterior of the subject

Blind Contour Rules: can’t pick up your pencil, can’t look at your paper Why? To learn how to draw what you actually see! Also helps with hand/eye coordination

Perspective

The Process