The domestic space has long been a great source of inspiration for artists, whether in the objects that are found there or through quiet activities indoors. It is often the closest subject an artist reaches for, whether describing it in pencil, paint or film, as proven by the long history of the still life as a genre. In this way, art can focus on the small details in our everyday lives that might otherwise go unnoticed, showing off their modest beauties.

In bringing together this selection of paintings from the Fleming Collection, we hope to display the joy that can be discovered in our homes, appropriate for our current altered state of the everyday. Some examples are still lifes in their traditional sense, being a celebration of inanimate objects, and others are such in that they represent a particular tranquility and stillness experienced in a domestic space, perhaps found in the pages of a book.

"In Still Life... I have perhaps opened many people’s eyes to some unsuspected, subtle beauties in our daily surroundings. This has been, I hope, a by-product of my own enjoyment of what I perceive..." Sir William Gillies RSA RA (1898 - 1973)