Still Life Pioneer

A still life (also known by its French title, nature morte) painting is a piece that features an arrangement of inanimate objects as its subject. Usually, these items are set on a table and often include organic objects like fruit and flowers and household items like glassware and textiles.

Fed Galizia, Still Life of Cherries in a Bowl

"The term “still life” is derived from the Dutch word stilleven, which gained prominence during the 16th century. While it was during this time that the still life gained recognition as a genre, its roots date back to ancient times." (Kelly Richman-Abdou writing for My Modern Met).

Hummm...from this definition we might conclude that the Dutch invented the genre of still life paintings. And, in fact, many art history books would support that theory. However, by the very narrow definition above, we see that some Egyptian tomb paintings and Greek and Roman mosaics could be classified as still life art.

Paolo Morigia, Fede Galizia

So, still life paintings have been around for a while, but what and who caused the shift from background and ornamentation to being the focus of the painting. I believe the major shift came about in the late 16th century. It was during this time that the objects in still life paintings took center stage, and not a merely supporting role. And, while significant still life paintings come out of the low countries, it is, in fact a 16th century Italian artist that paved the way.

Fede Galizia was born in Milan most likely sometime before 1578 to the miniaturist, Nunzio Galizia. Fede learned to paint from him and by the age of 12 she was gaining significant reputation as an artist. One of Fede's earliest patrons was Jesuit scholar and historian Paolo Morigia. In a collection of short biographies published in 1595 he wrote that Fede showed signs of "becoming a truly noble painter." She painted multiple portraits of Paolo and he declared her paintings "of such excellence, and such a good likeness, that one could not desire anything more."

The images in Fede's portraits are realistic and detailed - just look at the jewelry and the fabric in Judith with the Head of Holofernes. Her portraits show a trend towards naturalism away from the humanism of earlier centuries. Her subjects seem very real, and their stories are told with each brush stroke.

Judith with the Head of Holofernes, Fede Galizia

As important as her portraits were, Fede's still life works were groundbreaking. Her cherries (above) look ripe and juicy. Her peaches were velvety, her flowers featured petals that appeared soft. She kept the backgrounds fairly indiscriminate, so as to focus the viewer on the subject. The fruits and flowers in these still lifes are tactile, swelling with flavor and fragrance.

Not much is known of Fede's personal life. She moved between Italy, Greece, and Spain always looking for sources of inspiration. Fede never married and it is said that she died during the plague that hit Milan in 1630.

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Select Sources

Galer, Sophia Smith. Ten female artists you should know about.

Labedzki, Annette.  Fede Galizia - An Italian Renaissance Artist of Still Life, Portraiture and Miniature Merit

Librizzi, Jane. Now They Tell Us: Fede Galizia's Delicious Still Life