Still life

Virtually everybody knows what kinds of things are represented in still life, but has difficulty explaining precisely what still life is.

We are familiar enough with the subject matter - flowers, fruit, vegetables, pots and pans, tableware, books and musical instruments.

Sometimes they are beautiful, ornate and desirable objects in themselves; very often they are commonplace household items.

It is their re-presentation in paint that makes them seem remarkable, and a source of special enjoyment.

In this Pocket Guide Erika Langmuir examines the special fascination of still life, and what distinguishes it from other categories of painting.

She discusses its evolution from the trompe l'oeil wall paintings of ancient Rome, through its revival in the age of Caravaggio and Velazquez, and again in the works of Cezanne and Picasso.

The subject is more complex than it seems, going to the very heart of the relationship between art and reality, perception and representation, and touching on how artists view their role in society.