In the hierarchy of genres set up by the Academy, the most important genres are history painting, portraiture and genre painting. Still life and landscape art were considered less important, and still life is on the fifth, while landscape is on the fourth place. Even so, some of the most beautiful paintings ever painted emerged here, for example, Van Gogh's Sunflowers or his extraordinary landscapes made in different techniques.
Still life painting became popular in sixteenth century. Artists paint inanimate objects, natural or manufactured, anything that doesn't move or is dead, as it is explained in Tate museum Glossary. Natural objects usually include food, drinks, flowers and similar things. Manufactured objects painted on these pictures are often bottles, vases and books.
Flowers can be just beautiful flowers, and nothing else, but they can also be highly symbolic. For example, lilies symbolize purity, and may refer to Virgin Mary's purity as well. On the other hand, Cezanne was more interested in shapes and colors of his motifs, and didn't care much about symbolism. Other authors sometimes used this genre just to practice their technique.
The first recognized major work of Western still life is Caravaggio's basket of fruits. It was painted in 1596. During the early 1600s, this genre became popular in the Netherlands. These early works were mostly religious and symbolic. Floral motifs were especially prominent. Flowers were appreciated for their grace and fragrance, and paintings immortalized these values.
Banquet pictures, game pictures and vanities were also quite popular motifs. Background is usually neutral, tan colored or gray, while flowers, for example, are bright colored. They use silver and gold for details. It is interesting that in this period you will often found watches, skulls and other reminders of death as a main motif.
Landscape paintings usually depict mountains, rivers, sea, sky and grass, in one word, nature. Some pictures are really realistic, and some present idealized world. Impressionists often chose this genre, and there are numerous beautiful masterpieces you can see in museums. The most popular technique is oil, but numerous authors use water colors or pastels, or mixed media.
Although numerous examples of landscape art can be found all through the history, it became an independent genre in sixteenth century. This genre became more important in later periods. It is still popular today, but contemporary paintings of this type usually feature buildings, roads and similar, modern motifs.
In Chinese art, this lovely motif was highly appreciated, but in Western art it was included in paintings only as a setting for different human activities, purely as a background. With the rise of the Dutch and Flemish schools in the seventeenth century, some prominent artists such as Vermeer made the difference, and this type of art became more respected and popular.
The nineteenth century is the period when some of the most amazing paintings were made. England and France were the centers, and artists like Turner and Constable changed the picture. In France, several famous painters, for example Renoir and Pissaro, painted some really beautiful landscapes. Sometimes people are also found on their works, but the nature is the prime motif.
Still life painting became popular in sixteenth century. Artists paint inanimate objects, natural or manufactured, anything that doesn't move or is dead, as it is explained in Tate museum Glossary. Natural objects usually include food, drinks, flowers and similar things. Manufactured objects painted on these pictures are often bottles, vases and books.
Flowers can be just beautiful flowers, and nothing else, but they can also be highly symbolic. For example, lilies symbolize purity, and may refer to Virgin Mary's purity as well. On the other hand, Cezanne was more interested in shapes and colors of his motifs, and didn't care much about symbolism. Other authors sometimes used this genre just to practice their technique.
The first recognized major work of Western still life is Caravaggio's basket of fruits. It was painted in 1596. During the early 1600s, this genre became popular in the Netherlands. These early works were mostly religious and symbolic. Floral motifs were especially prominent. Flowers were appreciated for their grace and fragrance, and paintings immortalized these values.
Banquet pictures, game pictures and vanities were also quite popular motifs. Background is usually neutral, tan colored or gray, while flowers, for example, are bright colored. They use silver and gold for details. It is interesting that in this period you will often found watches, skulls and other reminders of death as a main motif.
Landscape paintings usually depict mountains, rivers, sea, sky and grass, in one word, nature. Some pictures are really realistic, and some present idealized world. Impressionists often chose this genre, and there are numerous beautiful masterpieces you can see in museums. The most popular technique is oil, but numerous authors use water colors or pastels, or mixed media.
Although numerous examples of landscape art can be found all through the history, it became an independent genre in sixteenth century. This genre became more important in later periods. It is still popular today, but contemporary paintings of this type usually feature buildings, roads and similar, modern motifs.
In Chinese art, this lovely motif was highly appreciated, but in Western art it was included in paintings only as a setting for different human activities, purely as a background. With the rise of the Dutch and Flemish schools in the seventeenth century, some prominent artists such as Vermeer made the difference, and this type of art became more respected and popular.
The nineteenth century is the period when some of the most amazing paintings were made. England and France were the centers, and artists like Turner and Constable changed the picture. In France, several famous painters, for example Renoir and Pissaro, painted some really beautiful landscapes. Sometimes people are also found on their works, but the nature is the prime motif.
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