The traditional still life can sometimes seem outdated or dull to a contemporary audience whose sensitivities have been influenced by the bright and brash, plus the French term for the genre, nature morte, literally meaning ‘dead nature’, doesn’t help. Yet for artists there is plenty to discover in this traditional subject matter that can look fresh and be personally relevant, as Penny German’s article on how to set up and light a still life for a successful outcome shows on pages 58-60.
Historically the still life became important in the mid-17th century when Dutch artists began to paint objects that were treated as the main subject matter rather than as mere props in a larger, often allegorical theme. The exhibition Matisse in the Studio at the Royal Academy (until November 12) revealed just how astonishingly important and expressive still life had become for its own sake, by the time this giant of 20th century art (1869-1954) turned his attention to the genre. The exhibition demonstrated how Matisse’s personal collection of treasured objects – ranging from African masks and Chinese porcelain to north African textiles from the 19th and 20th centuries, selected for their aesthetic appeal – were both the subject matter and the inspiration for his art.