Things: A History of Still Lifes

Depictions of things, which date back to prehistoric times, are a wonderful window into history. Artists were the first to take things seriously by recognising their presence, imbuing them with life, glorifying their forms and meanings, their power and charm. They captured the ability of objects to fire our imagination – to make us believe, doubt, dream or act.

Things: A History of Still Lifes revisits the still-life genre from the perspective of the ongoing dialogue between past and present artists. It sheds new light on our attachment to material things, while covering the history of art from prehistoric axes to Chardin, Manet and the readymades of Marcel Duchamp.

Nicola Jennings