In celebration of the holiday centerpiece, we've put together a gallery of still lifes by a wide variety of artists, from 17th-century Dutch masters to a contemporary crochet artist. Inspiration for all the things you can design with some good light and luscious subjects.
In Still Life (2001-2012)
John Baldessari
American artist John Baldessari has really shaken up the table in Abraham van Beyeren's 17th century painting Banquet Still Life. For a 2001 exhibition at LACMA, Baldessari hung the Dutch painting on the wall next to an empty frame and the 38 objects included in the original scene. Visitors were invited to digitally arrange their own compositions, each producing a still life that, well, didn't have to be so still. The piece was popular, so he developed an iPhone app and put it online. "I'm just anticipating everyone trying to make the lobster dance," said Baldessari.
Photos: Banquet Still Life, right; In Still Life, by a contributor, left
