There’s a reason still life painting has stood the test of time: It highlights how seemingly mundane things can be elevated into arresting works of art, often revealing deeper symbolism just beneath the surface. When the modern world feels less than inspiring, these talented painters are reminding us to take another look.
John Funt
A favorite of Bunny Williams, the Norfolk, Connecticut–based John Funt often finds his subjects—like the white quince branches in Winter (2024, oil on panel)—in the garden or the greenhouse adjoining his studio. When a work is completed, he combs through his collection of vintage wood frames to find the perfect match, making each one part of the work itself rather than simply an addition to a finished piece. From $2,500, bunnywilliamshome.com
Meghann Stephenson
Los Angeles-based Meghann Stephenson’s paintings have a subtle playfulness that can give her work a surreal feel, even when hinting at more serious subjects. Take her Brava! (2026, oil on canvas), in which a platter of tomatoes conjures the image of an audience throwing vegetables at a performer, and opera glasses represent the close scrutiny often directed toward women. Prices upon request, meghannstephenson.com
Jay Harper
When Jay Harper was painting Lemons on Top (2025, oil on wood), she was “imagining something that felt theatrical, and not your usual still life setup.” Those words could be used to describe much of this Bristol, England-based artist’s creations, some of which begin as traditional still-life compositions painted from life and others as pictures in her mind. Painting directly on wood, she leans into muted colors, sometimes wiping away the paint to reveal the primed surface beneath. From £250, jayharper.art
Alice Boggis-Rolfe
From sweeping landscapes to intimate still lifes like Magnolia (2023, oil on canvas), Alice Boggis-Rolfe’s paintings are exceedingly successful at capturing the fleeting nature of time, as if a shadow may shift or a petal could drop at any moment. While Boggis-Rolfe spent much of her early career traveling the world, she now favors meticulous studio painting. The result has been seven sold-out solo exhibitions in London, among many other accolades for this Gloucestershire-based artist. From £1,850, aliceboggis-rolfe.com
Sarah Lamb
Looking at Happy and Elizabeth (2020, oil on canvas), you’d be forgiven for only seeing a crustacean-centered still life, but in fact, it’s also a portrait. Sarah Lamb often takes on commissions to meaningfully commemorate milestones, such as anniversaries, as was the case here: The wife wanted to be depicted as a crab and her husband as a lobster. Whether she’s painting animals, model ships, or a dry martini, Lamb uses depth and texture to bring her subjects to center stage. From $7,500, sarahlamb.net
Sam Dalby
A bottle of cleaning solution, a tangle of wires, a piece of refuse (see Paper Bag, 2025, oil on panel)—none of these is a typical still-life subject. But Scottish artist Sam Dalby captures them all with a mesmerizing quality. Even his more traditional paintings have a sense of imperfection that is hard to ignore, like cloves of garlic that have begun to sprout or daffodils slowly wilting. Dalby’s work thrives in the shadows, bringing depth to the scenes he memorializes. From £1,500, samdalby.com
Brett Bigbee
For much of his career, the Maine-based painter Brett Bigbee created painstakingly detailed portraiture that could take years to complete. Recently, he has brought his sense of off-kilter reality, which has been compared to magical realism, to still-life work. Paintings like Three Apples (2003, oil on linen) can make you feel as if you are peeking into a world meant to exist only when we are not looking. Prices upon request, alexandregallery.com
Ginny Williams
Ginny Williams’s still life work has two main modes, both with a decidedly classical eye. One uses frantic brushwork to convey the urgency of capturing the scene before it is gone; the other (seen in The Wonder of it All, 2025, oil on panel) has a photo-like depth of field that lingers on each detail. Painting from her North Shore, Massachusetts, studio, Williams says, “My work is about the little moments of beauty that comprise our existence.” From $1,200, gcwilliamsfineart.com
Nathalie du Pasquier
Strikingly simple forms and primary colors are hallmarks of Nathalie du Pasquier’s still lifes (like Untitled, 2015, oil on canvas), which should come as no surprise considering that she is among the founders of the Memphis movement. Born in Bordeaux, France, and based in Milan since 1979, the multi-hyphenate (she also works in sculpture and designs furniture) reimagines her stationary subjects as graphic, postmodern totems. Prices upon request, nathaliedupasquier.com
Andrew Cranston
Scottish painter Andrew Cranston’s work, which you can find in collections including the Tate and LACMA, can have a dreamlike quality. He often works with unconventional materials and surfaces (A house is not a home, 2020, was painted in oil and distemper on a hardbound book cover), the scene emerging through layers of paint, giving his work a sense of spontaneity that he has perfectly summed up as “a painting that came out of my brush one day.” Prices upon request, karmakarma.org
Grant Perry
The realist painter Grant Perry tends to lean toward a classical style, but his inclusion of mischievous birds and unexpected subjects (say, a rubber duck or toy robot) adds a winking liveliness to his work. The Blueberry Bandit (2026, oil on linen) perfectly captures this approach, as if a traditional still-life scene—a bowl with fruit—was disrupted by an unexpected visitor. From $4,500, grantperryart.com
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 21 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
