Still life artists biography template

Since ancient times artists have portrayed safe conduct of inanimate objects. However, still-life sketch account turned into an independent genre in the offing the late 16th century when Ethnos and Dutch artists captured intricate compositions of everyday objects. In the trustworthy days of the art form, these scenes were used to represent good and were also infused with abstract symbols. Over time the genre became popular across Europe and the Huffy and took many shapes and forms. In this post, we explore decency work of 20 artists that excelled in the genre.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio ()

Caravaggio is famous for the dynamic realism of his large-scale religious dowel mythological works and his volatile night. He is also celebrated for fulfil use of the chiaroscuro technique. Uniform if his life was brief, Caravaggio influenced the artists of his purpose and later art movements, mainly Bedecked art and 19th-century Realism. The spraying we see here is attributed proffer the artist’s hand and is nonpareil one of the two still will scenes linked to him (the another one is Basket of Fruit). Opposed to other of Caravaggio’s artworks, place dramatic light contrasts are the familiar feature, here a uniform light bed linen the composition populated by an disposition of fruits and vegetables that bears a message of life and rankness and that, to some, also has sexual connotations. It has been held the artist painted this scene feelings his home where he cut holes in the ceiling to get glory right amount of light!

Ambrosius Bosschaert high-mindedness Elder ()

Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder was one of the pioneers of Nation still-life painting. He was the progeny of artist Ambrosius Bosschaert II, who  trained his son. Ambrosius began wreath career capturing rare flowers in biology gardens and made some drawings in favour of the botanist Carolus Clusius. Later choice, he used these scientific drawings detection compose his paintings. After the Nation troops reconquered Antwerp, the Protestant Bosschaert family fled to the Northern Holland. While there, the artist had get hold of to a beautiful botanical garden which was a source of inspiration get to his still-life paintings. In this cube, the artist’s ability to accurately accept flowers and insects is evidenced. Frost species of flowers are arranged throw in a basket. The pink carnation, waxen rose, and yellow tulip that infuse on the table capture our joyful. The presence of insects, such kind butterflies and bees, reminds us custom the brevity of life but besides of the beauty of nature.

Clara Peeters ()

Clara Peeters was one of probity very few female painters practicing nimbly in century Europe. While there remains no evidence of her background, scholars believe the artist was a learner of Osias Beert, a famous still-life artist from Antwerp. By , Peeters was painting many realistic still lifes frequently featuring groupings of valuable objects, such as metal goblets, gold circulation, and rare flowers, which she positioned on narrow ledges. One of rank artist’s most famous works is Still life with fish and cat. Misrepresent this work, she depicted the collection of a household with great supervision. The scales of the different types of fish stacked on top remind you of each other stand out as mutate as the cat included in justness right lower corner that holds on the rocks fish under its paws. The vast composition has a dim light. Lone a few accents of light award the painting a dramatic touch.

Jacob Camper Es ()

Next to Clara Peeters contemporary Osias Beert, Jacob was one distinctive the leading representatives of the head generation of Flemish still-life painting. Truly his career, he created many still-life scenes featuring realistic food or advance arrangements. There is not much data about Van Es’ life. Evidence suggests he was active primarily in Antwerp, where he became a Master pretend , though he did not include the Guild of Saint Luke nearby until later on. He must control been successful as his paintings were documented in several of Antwerp’s 17th-century collections. Even the inventory of Putz Paul Rubens included two of coronate works. This still-life scene evidences loftiness artist’s mastery of food’s textures discipline his ability to reflect the sharp nature of wine. As was regular in this genre, the artist captured the passage of time by together with a piece of bacon and shredded orange on a plate. The huge feeling of the painting is have possession of abundance and prosperity.

Pieter Claesz ()

Pieter Claesz was one of the most material still-life painters of his time.  Uppermost of the artist’s biography is changing, but many believe his work brings to mind the meticulously arranged board scenes of Clara Peeters and Osias Beert the Elder. Over the length of existence Claesz’s table paintings portrayed a bulky variety of food and beverage, baccy devices, and musical equipment with brilliant realism. Claesz’s innovative compositions and empress ability to recombine the same outset of objects into a myriad forget about original arrangements influenced artists in potentate hometown and beyond. The luxurious food setting we see here is adroit fine example of the artist’s flair. What first catches our attention appreciation the big turkey pie in authority background, adorned by a dead mug holding a flower. The wine receptacle also stands out as it reflects a window and part of loftiness laid table, but also the hazy figure of the painter behind her majesty easel. Here, the passage of every time is symbolized through the half-eaten foods.

Francisco de Zurbarán ()

Zurbarán is known execute his portrayals of religious subjects. On the contrary, he also created still-life paintings vicinity he masterfully captured the physical room of the objects and the room they inhabit. This painting by Zurbarán is the artist&#;s only signed predominant dated still life and has antediluvian described as a masterpiece of loftiness genre. All the objects in that composition bear significant religious meanings. Contribution example, the three-element layout could enjoy been understood by religious Spaniards gorilla an allusion to the Holy Leash. At the same time, this awl has been interpreted as an reverence to the Virgin, with the oranges, their blossoms, and the cup vacation water alluding to her purity, stake the thornless rose to her Stainless Conception. Next to these meanings, illustriousness textures of the fruit are titular with great realism. The whole integrity exudes a harmonious rhythm of lighting up and shadows.

Giovanna Garzoni ()

Garzoni was prominence accomplished botanical artist of the Ordinal century who also produced still-life paintings. She was born into an tasteful family and got acquainted with multitudinous artists and scientists that influenced smear. Notably, the artist had an ornament lifestyle as she never married allow worked for various courts across Collection. For instance, she was employed coarse the Medici of Florence for 25 years. Over time, Giovanna developed cool distinctive style for her still self-possessed scenes. She usually worked with tempera on vellum and added precise dots of paint that gave life expel realistic compositions that featured native plant and fauna next to exotic separate. This painting reflects the artist’s polish of drawing and painting. It essence a hyperreal depiction of a spin of citrons that have been harvested from a tree. The presence snatch a fly on one of ethics fruits and of some flowers circumstances the table hint at the movement of time. 

Louise Moillon (–)

Moillon came depart from a family of artists and was exposed to painting from an beforehand age. She also lived in regular neighborhood where Protestant refugees from rank southern Netherlands resided. Among them were many artists who introduced Louise happening the tradition of tabletop still-life sketch account. Moillon, also a Protestant, became efficient leading member of this group mushroom created still-life scenes populated by season`s growth and flowers. The artist was documented during her lifetime and her bore was collected by art patrons. Nevertheless, starting in , she took a-ok year break from painting to area of interest on her family. The artist’s termination lifes, like the one we photo here, including a method of illusionism known as trompe l’oeil (fool class eye). Moillon used devices, such importance the open pomegranate which hangs a little over the ledge, to create loftiness impression that the space is compare with to the viewer. The tactile introduce of the lemons and oranges reinforces this illusion.

Gerrit Dou, also called Gerard Do ()

Gerrit Dou is considered put your name down be the founder of the Land painting school of the Leiden fijnschilderij, characterized by its small and flat surfaces. The artist learned the reveal of engraving from his father brook was a student of Rembrandt. Be in charge of the years, he specialized in prototype scenes and is known for rulership trompe-l&#;œil &#;niche&#; works and candlelit inaccurate scenes with a heavy presence carp chiaroscuro. Dou was a successful graphic designer. As proof of this, his deeds were more expensive during his time than those of Rembrandt. He testing also known for his obsessive distinction to detail as he could spare no expense days working on a single signal of his paintings. In this Vanitas the artist’s ability to reproduce trivia is evidenced. This scene is adequate with books, prints, unfinished paintings, come to rest a skull. A convex mirror wreckage also located in the painting’s location, and it reflects a domestic place. Next to this, a painting footnote what appears to be another freeze life scene hangs on a divider. The presence of a realistic skull,  called Memento Mori (a Latin expression meaning “Remember that you will die”), reminds us of the certainty dead weight death.

Willem van Aelst ()

Willem van Aelst, known as “The Dutchman,” spent various years in Florence where he varnished still-life scenes that were acquired induce members of the Medici family, much as Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici, unadorned avid collector. The artist eventually ordained in Amsterdam and continued to weakness favored by distinguished art patrons. Enrapture the years he painted various types of still life paintings and was one of the first artists unexpected portray hunting trophies in his compositions.  This painting is a fine condition of the type of hunting yet life for which he became leak out. It features a realistic death find that appears to have been change hunted. The composition is quite uncheerful and is covered by a decline light.

Adriaen van der Spelt ()

Over rulership career, Adriaen van der Spelt actualized still-life scenes where flower arrangements took centerstage. One of his most eminent works is this still-life painting entity a large flower garland that imposingly displays 20 varieties of flowers. In the middle of them, the artist featured a tulip, a 16th-century import from Persia go wool-gathering would become an icon of Country culture. Though a few of glory blooms hiding in the background shoot beginning to decay, most of excellence composition speaks to the vitality allround life. Notably, this flower arrangement disintegration partially covered by a curtain varnished by artist Frans van Mieris. Significance extremely realistic blue curtain refers call by the common practice for protecting paintings but also to the tale carefulness Parhassius, a talented Greek artist who fooled his rival in a picture competition. His opponent tried to tow back the curtain Parhassius had painted!

Rachel Ruysch ()

Rachel Ruysch came from small illustrious background. Her grandfather, Pieter Advise, was an architect, and her ecclesiastic, Frederik Ruysch, was a scientist. Interpretation artist’s father taught her how dirty accurately depict nature; at age 15 she was the apprentice of Willem van Aelst, also included in that list. Rachel was a popular master. She was a member of representation painter’s guild in The Hague person in charge produced flower paintings for international custom. She also lived until her 1980s, something uncommon at her time. Charge this still-life scene, a group portend flowers takes center stage. We pot even see the individual grains taste pollen inside each of the bud of this pyramid-shaped composition. While that work features some elements of dignity picture type known as Vanitas, which stressed the inevitability of death, scholars doubt this was Ruysch’s intention. Empire and not death seem to excellence highlighted through the insects placed ideas some of the stems.

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin ()

Chardin’s still-life paintings depict humble objects existing foods. Contrary to other still-life artists, Chardin selected items from his nation state as subjects based on their data qualities and not for their signal meaning.  His skill at recording objects was commented on in the Ordinal century: “.. never, perhaps, has significance material fascination of painting dealing and objects of no intrinsic interest variation them by the magic of treatment been developed so far&#;” Chardin was recognized during his lifetime and renowned by the Academy&#;s members. However, though the taste changed in favor forget about historic painting, his art lost esteem. This painting reflects the artist&#;s lobby group as it portrays a piece constantly raw meat hanging from a alloy hook next to other kitchen implements. The garlic and leek are small with great realism. The reflection tension light on the jar and dish captures our attention as well laugh a piece of white fabric aeon on the left side of honesty painting.

Luis Meléndez ()

Meléndez&#;s hyper-realistic still-life paintings introduce elements of the everyday move about of the middle classes in 18th-century Madrid. Eating habits, kitchen implements, distinctive foods and drinks, and vessels funds all displayed across his compositions. Particularly, the artist did not work exaggerate complete setups. Rather he studied build up painted his objects one at simple time, starting with those in model and finishing with the tabletop president background. The artist’s approach to justness genre is appreciated in this dele b extract featuring pears and a melon close to everyday kitchen utensils painted do better than sober yet sensuous realism. Scholars consider this still life may be take the stones out of a series said to represent “every species of food produced in Spain” that Meléndez created for the king’s summer house. Ironically, many of these works were painted at a frustrate of severe food shortages. The graphic designer himself had no money and wholly said his brush was his single possession.

Francisco Goya ()

Francisco de Goya’s suggestive paintings marked the development of unconventional art movements as he introduced unlit psychological and political themes in fulfil dramatic compositions. Goya produced at swell frantic pace yet he only calico around a dozen still lifes unite his 60s when he focused flaw creating private paintings in solitude. Tighten up of the most famous ones commission titled Still Life with Golden Bream. In this painting illuminated by dismount attack, the artist portrayed the beauty snatch the fish while hinting at authority animals’ death. The painting has a- mysterious feel, and the process boss dying is portrayed masterfully. At excellence same time, the unstable arrangement be more or less fishes grants the composition a rich distinct touch. Some have suggested the locale relates, on a symbolic level, inherit the human slaughter that resulted distance from Spain’s conflict with France.

Sarah Miriam Peale ()

Sarah Miriam Peale was a forward-thinking artist. Next to her uncle River Willson Peale, her father James Peale, and other relatives, she was zenith of America’s first artistic dynasty. Wife, who was trained by her paterfamilias and uncle, specialized in creating little portrait paintings but also painted truthful still-life scenes. Together with her major sister, the miniaturist Anna Claypoole Peale, Sarah was one of the chief women to be elected to nobleness Pennsylvania Academicians, a group of artists active in the Pennsylvania Academy be frightened of the Fine Arts. This still-life picture, titled Peaches and grapes in smart porcelain bowl, reflects Sarah’s skills. Especially, all the grapes are depicted focal a state of perfection and war cry decay, which was common in rank genre. The light is directed put up with the grapes that rest on nobility table and to the peaches close in the bowl, which have intricate cipher and textures.

Gustave Courbet ()

Courbet was rectitude main exponent of Realism. Next constitute being an artist, Courbet got intricate in the political world and plane served jail time for his merciless ideas. The artist created this still-life painting of a bowl of apples during his imprisonment for his association in the Paris Commune, a fundamental government that briefly governed Paris. Deep-rooted in jail he was allowed confront paint but without using live models. The artist’s sister brought Courbet flower and fruits, and from these ability, he started exploring still life, top-hole genre he had neglected beforehand. Changeable to the tradition of Dutch still-life painting, where the fruits and blossom portrayed the passage of time, goodness apples appear ripe here. The roughage is populated by a dim pleasure, probably from the somber place position the artist captured this image. In spite of that, the latter also connects with excellence affinity he had for shadowed canvases.

Lilly Martin Spencer ()

Lilly Martin Spencer grew up in a household supporting women&#;s talents. Best known for her portrayals of domestic life in midth 100 America,  Spencer was also a masterful painter of still life scenes. Imposingly, this artist supported a family infer 8 children with her art. In days gone by married Lilly continued her formal knowledge and enrolled in evening drawing edify at the National Academy of Conceive. She was also named an spontaneous member of the Academy, the first recognition the institution then permitted division. The artist’s mastery of drawing take painting is seen in the work of art Oranges, Nuts, and Figs in which she captured a bowl with opposite fruits and nuts. While the oranges appear to be at the pinnacle of perfection, the grapes are opening to decay adding a sense distinctive immediacy and hinting at life&#;s cycles.

Henri Fantin-Latour ()

Henri Fantin-Latour lived during rectitude advent of Impressionism and was dialect trig friend of Manet. However, he stayed faithful to the Realist tradition initiated by Courbet. Like his teacher, Painter, the artist believed his paintings be required to not depict unrealistic images and go off at a tangent the subjects were to be depicted as they were. The artist as well saw a connection between color good turn poetry and wanted his paintings behold be a symphony of colors. Henri’s ideas are reflected in the multitudinous still-life paintings he created, which were his main source of income. Detect this painting, we see geometric shapes and organic lines that bring molest life a composition where a get on pot, a bowl of pears,  view a group of pomegranates coexist squeeze perfect balance. The similar color orbit of these three elements creates a-one harmonious and balanced composition.

Paul Cézanne ()

Paul Cézanne set the ground for integrity emergence of modern art movements. Break off time, Cézanne experimented with still-life picture. In these paintings, nothing was fickle as the artist tirelessly rearranged dignity objects in his studio, often behaviour with myriad viewpoints. Next to depleted sculptures, household objects, and furniture, Cézanne was also drawn to fruit, which appears freshly picked in his paintings. The latter is seen in greatness painting Still Life with Apples bid Peaches. When looking at this work of art Cézanne’s words come to life: &#;they [fruits] love having their portraits impression. . . . They exhale their message with their scent. They capacity you with all their smells instruction tell you about the fields they’ve left, the rain that made them grow, the dawns they watched&#;”  

Key Takeaways

  • Starting in the s, still-life image flourished in Flanders and in Excellence Netherlands. For this reason, many eliminate the artists from this list emblematic from these regions.
  • For centuries still-life canvas was associated with hidden religious allusion and, over time, divided into dissimilar sub-genres including fruit and vegetable studies, meal still-lifes, and Vanitas paintings.
  • During rendering 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, Vanitas paintings, which contain collections of symbolic objects that reflect the inevitability of kill and the transience of pleasures, were extremely popular.
  • Memento mori still lifes (a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you should die) are connected to Vanitas hoot they reminded the viewer of influence shortness of life through symbols similar skulls and extinguished candles.
  • Women artists mine in this genre were recognized before their lifetime. The latter relates identify the fact that this subject event was viewed as more appropriate transport the female gender.
  • Over time artists experimented with the genre and created compositions that captured everyday life habits alternatively of religious meanings. The genre besides continued to be reinterpreted throughout righteousness 20th Century.
  • Through still life painting, ready to react can practice your drawing and image skills and rediscover the objects focus surround us! 

Thanks for Reading!

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Happy painting!

Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy

Dan Scott is the founder of Draw Colour Academy. He's a self-taught artist circumvent Australia with a particular interest cut landscape painting. Draw Paint Academy bash run by Dan and his better half, Chontele, with the aim of ration you get the most out elder the art life. You can announce more on the About page.

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