Notes about Still Life Painting

• Over the centuries artists have chosen the subject of still life for a variety of reasons.

• Willem Kalf painted still lifes which reflected the lifestyle and status of their owner.

• Harmen Steenwyck illustrated items that communicated a hidden message to the viewer.

• Chardin showed us that there is great beauty in the humble household objects that surround us.

• Henri Matisse intensified our experience of fruit, flowers and exotic artifacts with his expressive use of colour.

• Juan Gris used still life to experiment with the way we perceive objects in space and time.

• Still life as a subject has provided a platform for artists of different eras to explore their relationship with the world of objects that surround us.

• As our world evolves, new products and artifacts will continue to suggest new avenues for the stylistic development and reinvention of still life as a subject in art.