For some, it may seem like a boring genre of painting; a simple bowl of fruit, a vase of wilting flowers, or leftovers strewn on the dinner table. Yet, if you dig into the details of a still life painting, there is much more there than just a pile of unrelated objects. By definition, a still life is a composed variety of animate and inanimate, human-made and natural objects, like utensils, foliage, fruit, and animals, that are uniquely arranged by the artist. This is where the creativity of the still life really begins. Each selection of seemingly random objects was hand-selected by the artist, often for specific reasons and within the context of a rich art history.

Still life paintings are rich with symbology, a visual language that uses ordinary objects to convey deeper meaning. Even the smallest of details can reveal a hidden world of deeper meaning. A lit candle can represent light and truth, while an extinguished candle may represent death or loss. Seashells can be associated with femininity, symbolizing birth and good fortune. Plates full of leftovers from dinner or a silver spoon can represent prosperity and wealth.

The GVSU Art Gallery Collection celebrates the symbology of the style with several still life paintings from local Michigan artists.

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Michigan-based artist Beverly Adams’ paintings often focus on ideas of regeneration, rebirth, and resurrection. Historically, skulls and other objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality were popular in a category of still life paintings called vanitas, the Latin word for vanity.

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Mathias Alten was born in Germany in 1871 and immigrated to America near the end of the century, settling his family and painting studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While better known for his landscape paintings, Alten often painted still life images to practice his skills during the winter when he couldn’t paint outdoors. Flowers have always been a favorite subject matter for still life painters, and their symbology often depends on the type of flower and whether it was fresh or wilting. Roses often represented love, while lilies represented purity and sunflowers symbolized devotion.

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Local Grand Rapids artist Patricia Hendricks Constantine is known for luscious still-life images of fruits and vegetables. Her use of bright, bold colors reflects her upbringing in Florida and growing up in an area where fresh fruits were available year-round. Historically, fruit is a symbol of fertility, vitality, youth, and abundance. Any slight presence of decay, however, characterizes the fruit with the inevitable and undeniable mortality that we all face.

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Muskegon artist Mike McDonnell was equally well known for his clean and precise watercolor images as he was for his outlandish and often comical still-life style. McDonnell would often combine and precariously stack everything from doll houses to teacups and oil cans to flamingos in his brightly colored images. Dishes, like cups, bottles, plates, and pitchers, are common in McDonnell's images. Depending on the material, like glass or gold, they often symbolized wealth. McDonnell's precariously tipped cutlery may not have been well received by art historians, as improperly placed dishes often symbolized carelessness of the owner.

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