Still Life

Still Life is a major genre of Art which involves the depiction of arrangements of inanimate objects. The objects can be anything man-made, natural, domestic or monumental but must always be motionless or lifeless.

The objects can be chosen to convey a message such as in Vanitas paintings or be simply a way of celebrating nature’s abundance with overflowing plates of food or floral displays. Despite its universal and enduring popularity, Still Life painting was considered a lower Art Form for centuries.

Paul Cezanne certainly did not think so though and he produced many Still Lifes during his career. This is a section from one entitled 'The Peppermint Bottle'.