Startof The Still life a painting of a vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit may be viewed today as simply a beautiful demonstration of artistic skill a pretty picture to hang on a wall has stood the test of time and retains its treasured status today The art of still life painting dates to ancient times The Egyptians used still lifes to adorn the tombs in which they But historically still lifes have been created buried their pharaohs or kings Egyptians not merely as decoration but as a means believed that the food objects pottery and of conveying moral or religious messages other items they depicted in paint would Centuries ago still life functioned largely become real for the deceased ruler in the as background detail in larger paintings afterlife Still lifes have also been found in Over time renderings of inanimate excavations of the ancient Roman cities of objects became prized as art in and of Pompeii and Herculaneum which were themselves not to mention as a means buried during the volcanic eruption of of visually recording plant and animal Mount Vesuvius in a d 79 One Pompeii specimens Around the 16th century the painting depicts vases and a glass bowl genre of still lifes began to blossom into filled with fruit Roman painters loved a legitimate form of art a form that demonstrating their technical skill and 4
ANCIENT ROMAN ART FOUND IN POMPEII ABOVE AND LEFT 5
created decorative art for the homes of 1400s allowed for new developments in wealthy patrons commonly painting art Prior to that time artists had worked a variety of food items enjoyed by the primarily with tempera paint Jan van Roman Empire’s richest citizens Eyck c 1395 1441 and other artists of As Christianity’s influence spread northern Europe were the first to master throughout the Western world during the use of oil paint and appreciate its the 3rd and 4th centuries a d still lifes qualities Unlike tempera oil paint dried were featured as background details in slowly and allowed for the easy mixing many religious paintings This practice of colors and an artist could alter its continued during the Middle Ages when consistency to make it either thicker or most European paintings were made more fluid This quality permitted an for the Catholic Church The Church artist to blend paint by applying it in headquartered in Rome was at the center several thin layers which allowed for a of everyday life for many Europeans and wide range of visual effects and more played a major role in commissioning realistic depictions of a subject or scene works of art Paintings were commonly As early as 1475 some European filled with religious themes intended artists began to paint still lifes that were to encourage Christians to lead lives secular in nature Italian artist Jacopo of piety Because most people of that de Barbari c 1400 1516 created time could not read paintings were Still Life with Partridge Gauntlets and powerful reminders of the Bible stories Crossbow Bolt 1504 one of the earliest they heard at church and certain objects Renaissance still life paintings to be free of were included in these works as a way of religious content Other Italians such as adding meaning through symbolism Annibale Carracci 1560 1609 followed For example apples were symbolic of sin suit soon creating autonomous still lifes STILL LIFE WITH PARTRIDGE GAUNTLETS AND CROSSBOW BOLT BY JACOPO DE BARBARI as the Bible tells that the first humans Adam and Eve defied God by eating this forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden Through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance still life remained primarily a secondary feature in religious paintings The invention of oil paint in the early 7
