Have you ever wondered as to the origins of still life painting? Well we were too - here is what we found when we went exploring. Did you know that although paintings of objects have been in existence since ancient Egypt and Greece, still life painting as a unique art form began during the post-Renaissance Western art.
In ancient Egypt, people painted objects and food in tombs and temples as offerings to the gods and for the dead to enjoy in the afterlife. There is so much
symbolism in the subjects selected. Did you know that many objects in still life paintings were selected for their religious or symbolic meanings, though this symbolism is now often lost on modern day art lovers. Cut flowers or a piece of decaying fruit, for instance, symbolized
mortality. Skulls, hourglasses, clocks, and candles warned viewers that life is brief and fleeting. These death-haunted paintings are known as memento mori, a Latin phrase that means "remember you must die"
Wow - that is getting pretty dark! All we wanted to do was explore the origins of still life!
Autumn pears always remind us of that painting style.
Have you painted a pear lately?