stilleven

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word stilleven. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word stilleven, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say stilleven in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word stilleven you have here. The definition of the word stilleven will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofstilleven, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Dutch

Stilleven by Pieter Claesz.

Etymology

Compound of stil (still, motionless, silent) +‎ leven (life), perhaps from older stilstaand leven.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌstɪ(l)ˈleː.və(n)/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: stil‧le‧ven

Noun

stilleven n (plural stillevens, diminutive stilleventje n)

  1. still-life (painting or other image of arranged inanimate or dead objects, sometimes displaying living animals as well)
    • 1678, Samuel van Hoogstraeten, Inleyding tot de Hooge Schoole der Schilderkonst: Anders de Zichtbaere Werelt, publ. by Fransois van Hoogstraeten, page 87.
      Echter ſtaet dit vaſt, dat hoe overaerdig eenige bloemen, vruchten, of andere ſtillevens, gelijk wy't noemen, geſchildert zijn, deeze Schilderyen evenwel niet hooger, als in den eerſten graed der konſtwerken moogen geſtelt worden; al waerenze zelfs van de Heem, Pater Zegers, jae Zeuxis en Parraſius, tot bedriegens toe uitgevoert.
      However, this is certain, that no matter how exceedingly charming some flowers, fruits or other still lives, as we call it, have been painted, these paintings may nevertheless not be placed any higher than in the first degree of artworks; even if they were executed to the point of deceptive realism by De Heem, father Zegers, even Zeuxis and Parrhasius.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants