Hierarchy of Painting, Still Life

Blaise Alexandre Desgoffe (1830-1901)

We have finally reached the final type of painting in the hierarchy.  Last but not least is number six, Still Life paintings.  According to about.com, " All Still Lifes contain no living objects, and most are small-scale paintings. Though technically sound, they require the least amount of expertise because everything in the composition is inanimate (read: easier to record and requiring no stretch of the imagination on the artists' part)."  At first I didn't agree with this statement, for it takes expertise to depict glass, cloth, fur, metal, wood, etc.  But upon further consideration, I realized that the reason the beginning painting studio class, where I go, begins with still life is probably due to the fact that its only focus is the technique of depicting objects, leaving imagination elsewhere.  Enjoy!