still life

...Although it is not uncommon for small living animals such as insects and mice to be depicted in a subordinate role, birds and plants in their natural form, i.e. rooted in the soil, do not take center stage, as in the related Eastern field of bird-and-flower painting. The term has two origins: Germanic (English "still life" and German "Stilleben" are both based on the Dutch "stilleven") and Romantic (French "nature morte" and Italian "natura morta"), both of which originally meant "things that do not move" and were established in the 18th century, somewhat later than the establishment of the comprehensive concept of "still life."
[Characteristics of still life painting]
Although the nature of still-life painting has changed over time, there is no doubt that its basis is in the spirit of realism.

*Some terminology explanations that mention "still life" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…昆虫やネズミなどの生きた小動物が従属的に描き込まれることもまれでないが，東洋における関連分野である花鳥画のように，鳥や自然の姿のままの，すなわち土に根を下ろした植物が主役を占めることはない。呼称にはゲルマン語系(英語のstill life，ドイツ語のStillebenはともにオランダ語のstillevenに基づく)とロマン語系(フランス語のnature morte，イタリア語のnatura morta)の二つがあり，いずれも〈動かぬ事物〉を原義として，〈静物画〉という包括的概念の確立よりやや遅れて18世紀に成立した。
［静物画の特質］
　静物画の本質は時代とともに変遷するとはいえ，その基調が写実の精神にあることは疑いない。…

※「still life」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報