1. An Introduction to Still Life

2. History of Still Life
A Still Life is a work of art, a drawing or painting (usually) of a group of objects. Objects do not move, hence the word 'still'. In the past these objects tended to be flowers, fruit, and other kinds of food or dead animals - hence 'life'. The French for still life is 'nature morte', meaning 'dead nature'. You get the idea. Nowadays, though, still life can mean any objects small enough to be put in front of you, usually on a table.

3. Egyptians
The Ancient Egyptians painted stacks of offerings for the gods, in temples or. Can you recognize any of the objects?
You can see a basket of figs, grapes, bread, a leg of beef, duck, more meat, and a cucumber. Quite a feast for the gods.

4. There are many mosaics of objects you can see on the floors of villas or in museums, and wall paintings too - especially at Pompeii (the Roman town covered by ash in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD79).
Greeks and Romans

5. 16th and 17th Century Europe
The Ambassadors
1533, Hans Holbein the Younger
Christ at Emmaus
Caravaggio 1601

6. Game and Floral
Margareta Haverman, Dutch, active by 1716, died after 1750: A Vase of Flowers, oil on wood

7. Breakfast, Banquet Meals
Willem Claesz Heda (artist)
Dutch, 1593/
Banquet Piece with Mince Pie, 1635
Clara Peeters: Still-life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit and Pretzels, oil on panel

8. Dutch Vanitas Still Life
Vqnitas Still Life with Portrait David Bailly
Vanitas Still Life 1603

10. Trompe l’Oeil
A French term literally meaning "trick the eye." Sometimes called illusionism, it's a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism.
John F. Peto: Office Board, oil on canvas, 24 3/8 x 19 7/8 in
Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dutch, ), Trompe-l'oeil, 1664

11. 19th and 20th Century A move towards abstraction
Paul Cézanne: Still-life with Bowl of Fruit, oil on canvas, 1893–4
12 Sunflowers in a Vase
1888 Van Gogh

12. Georges Braque: Candlestick and Playing Cards on a Table, oil on canvas,
Picasso
Still Life with Fruit Dish on a Table ( )

13. Photorealism
Audrey Flack

14. STILL LIFE HISTORY AND DRAWING

15. Value to Form

16. Tonal
Shading with pressure

17. Stippling
Shading with dots

18. Hatching
Shading with one type of line

19. Cross-hatching

20. Contour Line
Describes the interior and exterior of the subject

21. Blind Contour
Rules: can’t pick up your pencil, can’t look at your paper
Why? To learn how to draw what you actually see! Also helps with hand/eye coordination

22. Perspective

23. The Process