Thoughts on Still Life Painting

Anyone who has ever taken an art class knows what the still-life genre is all about: light, value, hue, shape, and space. But everyone else has experience with these concepts too, for still lifes exist everywhere, from kitchen to sidewalk and from desk to car interior. Where should I place this vase of flowers? How neatly should these towels be stacked? Why is the couch facing the TV instead of the window? Typical problems in composition face us every day. The artists among us choose to fiddle with such flexible arrangements and spatial exercises to develop subject matter and create potential masterpieces for museums and living room walls.

Still lifes are generally regarded as more decorative than other artistic genres; but expert paintings featuring flowers, fruit, bottles, or other everyday items can be every bit as inspirational or moody as landscapes, portraits, scenes, and abstractions by famous artists. Jean-Baptiste Chardin's 1765 still-life detailing dead game animals (hares and a pheasant) plus an apple is quite beautifully executed but is also explicitly symbolic of the ephemeral aspect of all life. This work hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and is an example of one of the traditional interpretations of the term "still life" which is also known as "nature morte." Of course, living hares, depicted by the noted naturalist John James Audubon, may also be viewed at the National Gallery in a section displaying watercolors.

Vincent van Gogh's works showing off vividly blooming sunflowers are world famous. These quintessential still lifes glow with good cheer. Other flower paintings, such as American Georgia O'Keefe's magnified views of lilies and poppies, elicit rather more complicated emotions. Andy Warhol's silkscreens highlighting soup cans and other grocery items provide another possible interpretation for artists committed to the genre. Intense focus on composition is the case with works by another renowned artist, Paul Cezanne. In several of his formal still lifes owned by the National Gallery, it is apparent that the background plays as much a part in the paintings as the individual objects, whether fruit or dishes or drapery. There is an intellectual presence in these works that transcends most expectations of the genre.

Popular contemporary artist Janet Fish's still lifes detail the shimmering effects of sunlight on glassware, along with flowers, dishes, fruit, and other commonplace items set in kitchens, or on windowsills and table tops. Many viewers are fascinated by the painterly elaboration and technical finesse. It is no surprise that prints of this artist's works are readily available.

Still lifes can be tableaux of abundance, descriptive investigations, or expressive renditions. Most artists deal with the genre in art school, usually painstakingly drawing and painting assemblages organized by teachers aiming to tax the abilities of the students. Some abandon the genre quickly but others find it adaptable and richly varied. Photo-realistic executions and impressionistic compositions can work well and find favor with art lovers.

Making art is not for everyone, but it only takes a few minutes to make a little drawing of that apple before you eat it for lunch or set it out in the bowl for family and guests. The challenge is seeing the apple as it is and as it exists in space and in your mind. Oh well, at least it tastes great, right!

"Still Life with Game", National Gallery of Art (Chardin)

"Sunflowers", Philadelphia Museum of Art (van Gogh)

"Still Life with Apples and Peaches", National Gallery of Art (Cezanne)

"After Leslie Left", Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Fish)