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Still life paintings often feature inanimate objects such as fruit, flowers, food and everyday items as their subjects.  Although it’s origins date back to the Middle Ages and Ancient Graeco-Roman times, it wasn’t until the late 16^th century that it became popular in Western painting, though is has remained prominent ever since. Famous still life artists include Paul Cezanne (1839 – 1906), Willem Kalf  (1622 – 1693) and Jean-Simeon Chardin (1699-1779).

As a genre, still life has provided artists with the opportunity to explore their relationship with the world and the different objects around them. What is notable is that the inanimate objects featured in still life artwork have changed over time, as the world has evolved. For example, today’s still life artists can feature products that most certainly would not have been invented in Kalf or even Cezanne’s day.

One of the differences between still life paintings and other art forms e.g. landscapes, is that still life gives artists more freedom to arrange the subjects and create their composition.

Today it is common for artists to used mixed media to create still life artwork such as photography, computer graphics, video and sound. The art form is widely appreciated and remains a popular choice with art lovers of all ages.