Use this tic-tac-toe game to explore the motivations and inspirations of American still life painters.

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Early in the nineteenth century, still life was relatively neglected in the United States. It was primarily used for practical purposes. Floral and fruit arrangements were often included as minor symbolic elements in portraits. The still life genre carried the stigma of being considered the least esteemed pursuit for professional painters in Britain and Europe. In America, the acceptance of still life as an art form developed gradually.

As the genre took root and flourished, it mirrored and chronicled shifting cultural and societal trends in the United States. Inspired by Enlightenment principles, early still-life artists selected subjects from nature and faithfully depicted objects with a scientific eye. Later, still-life paintings were used as a way to display the owners’ prosperity, social status, morality, and learning. In time, still-life painting became a way to engage with broader questions about memory, nature, science, and the real. It served as a medium for celebration, critique, and reflection, capturing the hopes, struggles, and changing perspectives of the American people.

The genre found new life through trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) works, which entertained and deceived viewers with realistic depictions and optical illusions. These paintings critiqued public life, incorporated political elements, and challenged the boundaries between illusion and reality. They critiqued the public world with humor, offering lighthearted or grim social commentaries. Nostalgia and retrospection also played a role as artists incorporated obsolete objects and evoked a sense of memory and the passage of time.

These nine galleries showcase the works of American still life painters. Each gallery features four paintings, three by a still life painter and one by another artist who shares a similar interest or style. Can you identify which painting stands out from the others? Notice and Note will help you fine tune your observational skills and enhance your understanding of the art.