Still life with daisies in a vase

History
The still life is of all times. The Romans were already painting still lifes on walls, which are still preserved in Pompeii, for example.

Constantine Huygens was the first to use the word "inanimatis" around 1630 when describing the work of Jacques de Gheyn and Johannes Torrentius. According to him, there was no one "who painted things of glass, tin, earthenware and iron"' better than Torrentius. It was not until about 1650 that the word "still life" first appeared when describing an estate inventory.[3]

Emblematic still life, Rijksmuseum, Johannes Torrentius, 1614
The still lifes in Flemish-Dutch painting of the 17th century are particularly famous for their fabric expression, the rendering of the surface of an object. In one still life, the painter shows his skill in simultaneously rendering, for example, the character of a satin cloth, a dry bread, a matted egg, dewy grapes, a hard shiny glass and a pearl shell. Often painters used their beloved objects over and over again.

In terms of still life, the flower arrangement (blossom pot and the like) is especially popular. This is followed by the fruit arrangement, the banquet and kitchen arrangement and to a lesser extent the breakfast. Names such as table, meal and fair sometimes occur.

Market and kitchen scenes were painted by Pieter Aertsen, Joachim Beuckelaer and Frans Snyders. Hunting and game still lifes by Jan Fijt, Jan Weenix and Dirk Valkenburg.

Whether flowers, fruit, game, fish, birds or precious silver, glass, porcelain or plain pottery were depicted, the exuberant display of abundance always remained an essential aspect of Dutch still life.[4]

Samuel van Hoogstraten wrote extensively about the still life. Gerard de Lairesse blamed the still life painters for lack of depth and their work perceived intellectual poverty, but acknowledged the popularity of the genre.