Still life became its own recognized genre during the Renaissance period, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. The genre developed significantly in the Netherlands, especially in the Dutch Golden Age, when artists began to focus on inanimate objects as subjects for their paintings. While elements of still life can be found throughout earlier art, such as in ancient Roman mosaics and medieval illuminated manuscripts, it wasn’t until this later time that still life was fully established as a distinct category of art.
The genre continued to evolve over the centuries and remained popular through various art movements, adapting in style and subject matter in response to changing artistic tastes.