One of the many challenges that an Art History major must face is the idea of reality. How realistic is a painting? What is the perspective? How do the objects relate to one another?
For a class project I recreated a Dutch 17th century still-life, complete with symbolism, shadowing, and computer manipulation. What I found is that it is impossible to recreate an actual still-life: they are both unrealistic and very very imaginative, and although they look do-able, actually making one is quite the task!
I spent about $50 making the project- the tulips and the pomengranate cost me an arm and a leg. To actually balance everything, I pinned some tulips together and stuck some of the grapes together so they would look just so. It took me about an hour to assemble, and all those still-lifes where there is a peeled lemon- well, I beg your pardon, but I found it an insurmountable challenge to peel a lemon. Instead, I just cut mine in half.
Luckily, my professor called my recreation “glorious”. Phew!
Still Life with Fruit, Flowers, Glasses and Lobster, Jan Davidsz de Heem
Still Life with a Mouse, Abraham van Beyeren
Still Life Recration, Me!
In color!
The Photographist 
the colour one is lovely. I wish there was a fabric background though, instead of the brick
I know, alas, the cinder block prison dorms here made it hard to tack up something behind it! 😦
oh yes 🙂 I’ve had that exact problem too.
Maybe some photoshopping would work just as well.
Very nice, glad you didn’t go for the lobster too, probably would’ve doubled that already hefty project fee. (Forunately pomegranates are delicious!)
The color version is especially stunning. Roaring success!