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Art & Art History vocabulary · Painting & Drawing

Still life

Meaning in art & art history, with examples

/ˌstɪl ˈlaɪf/nounCore term

In art & art history, still life means: A painting or drawing of objects that do not move, such as fruit, flowers, vases, books or dead game, arranged by the artist.

In Turkish: natürmort, ölü doğa

How it is used

Both the name of a genre and a countable noun. Dutch painters of the 1600s made it hugely popular, and many still lifes carry hidden messages, such as reminders that life is short. Art students set up and draw still lifes to practise light, shape and texture.

Example sentences

  1. For homework, set up a simple still life with three objects and draw it in pencil.

  2. Cézanne painted many still lifes of apples.

Common collocations

  • still life painting
  • set up a still life
  • floral still life
  • Dutch still life
  • landscapeA painting or drawing whose main subject is natural scenery such as mountains, fields, rivers or the sky; also the genre of such pictures.
  • portraitA painting, drawing, photograph or sculpture of a particular person, usually showing the face and saying something about their character or status.
  • compositionThe way the parts of an artwork, such as figures, shapes, colours and empty spaces, are arranged within the picture or space.
  • symbolismThe use of objects, colours, animals or figures to stand for ideas or qualities, for example a dog for loyalty or a skull for death.

More terms: Painting & Drawing

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