A porcelain bowl of fruit. A beautiful vase of flowers. A plate of leftovers with a pipe next to it. Very ordinary objects, but painted with astonishing precision. We call these paintings still lifes. In a still life painting you see objects that – the name says it all – don’t move, with the exception of an insect. Rembrandt van Rijn, Rachel Ruysch and Pieter Claesz painted world-famous still lifes that look very realistic.
A genre of its own
The still life didn’t emerge as an independent genre until the 17th century. Flowers and fruit featured in Roman frescos, or as part of religious art in the Middle Ages, but were not the main subject. Still lifes became extremely popular in the 17th century, especially in the Netherlands and Flanders, because wealthy people liked to hang them in their homes.
Painters began to specialise – some concentrated on fruit still lifes, others on flower still lifes or vanitas still lifes. This allowed them to perfect their technique, develop their own style and, importantly, serve their own market. In the 17th century, still lifes often featured exotic commodities, such as spices, animals, or fruit from the other side of the globe. They were a way for the rich to show how important or affluent they were. A painting was also a status symbol.
Vanitas
Some still lifes are more than just realistic depictions – they also have a deeper meaning. When you look at the Vanitas Still Life by Pieter Claesz in the Mauritshuis, you see a candle, an empty glass, a pocket watch, and a skull – but these items were not chosen at random. In the 17th century, people immediately recognised these vanitas symbols, as well as the scraps of food, and faded flowers. Vanitas still lifes reminded them not to become too attached to earthly success and riches. It was more important to lead a virtuous life. Memento mori – a Latin phrase, meaning ‘remember you must die’.
