When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Damien Mammoliti Nearly every art student groans at the mention of still life painting.

Nearly every art student groans at the mention of still life painting. It’s often seen as a tedious exercise reserved for hyperrealists – or for those who’ve supposedly run out of ideas. But that’s a ...

In a still life painting, the subjects cannot move. The bowl of fruit remains sedentary on the table. The hunk of cheese goes uneaten. The candles do not flicker. That's the rule according to the very ...