Still Life 101

Images of flowers, food, and other inanimate objects, called still lifes, have been popular across cultures and far back into prehistory, including in ancient Egypt and Rome. In the 1600s, still life painting became popular in Holland, where the objects pictured often carried an allegorical meaning. Soon after in France, still life became codified as an official painting type, or genre, within the French Academy’s rigid hierarchical system of valuing paintings. They put still life at the bottom of their hierarchy. Despite its lowly status, the constraints of still life created an opportunity for artists to experiment with composition, form, color, and style, and it remains a popular format today.

This exhibition presents a capsule collection highlighting a diverse range of artistic styles from the past 300 years through the genre of still life. From 18th century ornithological paintings by Samuel Dixon to Eugène Boudin’s moody and painterly composition of the 19th century, to examples by modernist artists like Rebecca Salsbury James, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Pablo Picasso, the exhibition walks visitors through many of the major artistic movements into the 20th century. One section highlights photographic still life, with work by Russell Lee, Lusha Nelson, and Brett Weston. A final grouping includes contemporary works—particularly photorealist work—by Carolyn Brady, Audrey Flack, and Tony Matelli.

The exhibition, which runs October 4, 2025 to February 8, 2026, will thread through the Villa, incorporating still life works in the context of other galleries and connecting to concurrent exhibitions, including Metamorphosis: Birds & Botanicals by Maria Sibylla Merian and Wall Flowers: Patrick Gordon Paintings.

IMAGES:
Eugène Boudin (French, 1824–1898). Still Life with Coffee Mill, c. 1856. Oil on canvas, 17 3/4 × 29 1/2″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Gussman, 1963.13.

Tony Matelli (American, b. 1971). Untitled (Abandon 68-08), 2008. Bronze and vinyl paint, 11 1/2 × 24 × 19″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Museum purchase, Contemporary Consortium Fund, 2010.4. © Tony Matelli

George J. Marinko (American, 1908–1989). Still Life, 1942. Oil on Masonite, 30 × 24″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund, 2023.2. © George J. Marinko