What is still life? 

Still life is the arrangements of objects such as paintings or things we use in our daily lives that cannot move. The objects may have a bigger picture and may create a story from the background of where and what the objects are and come from.  

Still life Examples: 

Still life Artist 

Vincent Van Gogh: 

Vincent van Gogh is a very famous artist who creates many still life paintings which all have a story or some kind of history behind them, his artwork is quite old and represents the older era of life.  

His work: 

Vincent van Gogh’s work presents an image of what life was like when he was growing up and presents that within his work to present that for others to see what it was like. 

What is Vanitas ?

Vanitas is a genre of art which uses symbolism to show the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. The paintings involved still life imagery of transitory items.

What is memento mori ?

Memento mori is an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity, and appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards.

What kind of metaphors and symbols are used in still life and why? 

• Fruit: Varying Symbolism In Still Life Paintings.
• Skulls: The Certainty Of Mortality.
• Candles: The Passing Of Time.
• Flowers: Symbols Of Life And Growth.
• Seashells: Birth, Purity, And Fertility.