Nature Morte
Ménage á Trois, Charcoal, Mix Media
As far back as the artwork of the thoughtful and masterful Egyptians still life was an important of life, or more aptly an important part of afterlife. So the tombs were richly decorated with the items that surrounded the individual in their life. It was believed that food objects and other items depicted there would, in the afterlife, become real and available for use by the deceased.
Ancient Greek vase paintings also demonstrate great skill in depicting everyday objects and animals. Similar still life, more simply decorative in intent, but with realistic perspective, have also been found in the Roman wall paintings and floor mosaics unearthed at Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Villa Boscoreale, including the later familiar motif of a glass bowl of fruit. Decorative mosaics termed “emblema”, found in the homes of rich Romans, demonstrated the range of food enjoyed by the upper classes, and also functioned as signs of hospitality and as celebrations of the seasons and of life.
By the 16th century, food and flowers would again appear as symbols of the seasons and of the five senses. Also starting in Roman times is the tradition of the use of the skull in paintings as a symbol of mortality and earthly remains, often with the accompanying phrase Omnia mors aequat (Death makes all equal). These vanitas images have been re-interpreted through the last 400 years of art history, starting with Dutch painters around 1600.
To honor this rich tradition I am devoting the entire weekend to Nature Morte in my Etsy shop.
