Still-Life

Still-Life was painted by Luis Egidio Meléndez in 1772, the same year the artist petitioned to be appointed painter to the king, a favor that was not granted. The work entered the Spanish royal collection and was held at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, where it remained part of the holdings associated with Ferdinand VII of Spain. From the Aranjuez royal collection, the painting was transferred to the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it is now housed as one of the institution's best-known works.

The painting is considered the pendant to Meléndez's Still Life with Giltfish and Oranges, also in the Prado, and has subsequently been featured in exhibitions including the Spanish art show held in Tokyo and Kyoto in 1970 (catalogue no. 93), the Brueghel to Soutine still-life exhibition in Bordeaux in 1978 (no. 120), and the Cinq siècles d'art espagnol show at the Petit Palais in Paris from October 1987 to January 1988.

This 1772 oil painting by Luis Egidio Meléndez is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work entered the museum's holdings from the Royal Collection, specifically originating from the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, and was historically associated with the ownership of Ferdinand VII of Spain.

The painting has a documented exhibition history, having been displayed at the Spanish Art exhibition in Tokyo and Kyoto in 1970. It was subsequently featured in the Still Life from Brueghel to Soutine exhibition in Bordeaux in 1978. Later, the work was presented in Paris at the Five Centuries of Spanish Art exhibition held at the Musée du Petit Palais from October 1987 to January 1988.

Painted in 1772, the same year Meléndez sought the title of royal painter, a favour that was not granted, this still life stands among the most recognized works in the Museo del Prado's collection. It belongs to the Spanish rococo tradition and exemplifies the artist's specialization in the bodegón, a genre cherished in Spanish painting since the early seventeenth century. The canvas is considered the pendant to the artist's Still Life with Oranges and Pomelos, also held by the Prado.

Provenance traces through the Royal Collection of Aranjuez, later passing to Ferdinand VII of Spain before entering the museum. The painting has been featured in several exhibitions, including the Spanish art show in Tokyo and Kyoto in 1970, the Bordeaux still-life survey from Brueghel to Soutine in 1978, and the Paris presentation Cinq siècles d'art espagnol at the Petit Palais between October 1987 and January 1988.

The painting is among Meléndez’s most recognized works in the Museo del Prado’s holdings and has been repeatedly selected for major international exhibitions charting the history of still life. It appeared in Tokyo and Kyoto in 1970 within a Spanish art survey, in Bordeaux’s 1978 still-life show, and in the 1987–88 Paris exhibition "Cinq siècles d’art espagnol" at the Petit Palais. These presentations helped consolidate its status as a canonical example of eighteenth-century Spanish still life, often paired with Meléndez’s Still Life with Red Mullet and Oranges as emblematic of his oeuvre.

Still-Life, painted in 1772 by Luis Egidio Meléndez, is an 18th-century Spanish oil painting featuring everyday objects arranged on a wooden shelf.