Still life painting is a genre of painting that represents inanimate objects that the artist has arranged in a visually pleasing composition. The subjects of still life paintings are the objects depicted, including fruit or other food items, flowers in vases, and common objects found in the home.

Although the genre has been in existence since ancient times, it was popularised in Holland after the Renaissance in the sixteenth century and has continued to be explored in contemporary times. The still-life genre has remained popular due to its freedom of experimentation, allowing artists to explore different techniques, styles, and themes.

The artist has complete control over the arrangement of these objects, the lighting, and the composition. This allows them to create a specific mood or convey a particular message. The still life genre is often used to explore the effects of light and shadow on different surfaces and textures and to experiment with composition and perspective. It’s a genre that allows for much artistic control and precision.

There are four main types of still-life painting are: 

• Flower Pieces
• Banquet or Breakfast Pieces
• Animal Pieces
• Symbolic Paintings