Browsing through a selection of still lives I was struck by the regular appearance of the humble coffee pot, specifically the tall kind with an elegant spout. Are they simply accessible objects? Are painters caffeine fiends? Or is there more to this phenomenon. Perhaps fresh coffee imbues artists' work with added sophistication or maybe they are pitting themselves against their key influences - after this selection, please look out for coffee pots in works by, say, Van Gogh (Still Life with Coffee Pot, 1888)or the Cubists (Woman with a Coffee Pot, Jean Metzinger, 1919). Mind you, these days I prefer a flat white.

Artists featured in this Curation: Sandy Cheyne (b.1935), Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874), Vanessa Bowman (b.1970), Roger Eliot Fry (1866–1934), William Scott (1913–1989), Duncan Grant (1885–1978), Elizabeth Organ (1934–2009), Hugh Farren (b.1939), Ernest Zobole (1927–1999), Alison Daubercies de Morán (b.1931), and 2 more See all

13 artworks

Storyline Album Showcase

1958

Still Life with Ivy

Still Life with Ivy 1958
Sandy Cheyne (b.1935)
Oil on board
H 59.1 x W 67.8 cm
Art & Heritage Collections, Robert Gordon University

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Image credit: The Bowes Museum

Silver Ink Stand, Mug and Copper Coffee Pot

Silver Ink Stand, Mug and Copper Coffee Pot c.1860–1874
Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) (attributed to)
Oil on card
H 8.5 x W 27 cm
The Bowes Museum

2009

Amaryllis

Amaryllis 2009
Vanessa Bowman (b.1970)
Oil on card
H 37 x W 39.5 cm
Rowcroft Hospice

1915

Image credit: The Courtauld

Still Life with Coffee Pot

Still Life with Coffee Pot 1915
Roger Eliot Fry (1866–1934)
Oil, bodycolour & collage on cardboard
H 50 x W 37 cm
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

1952

Still Life: Coffee Pot I

Still Life: Coffee Pot I 1952
William Scott (1913–1989)
Oil on canvas
H 67.2 x W 81 cm
Southampton City Art Gallery

1918

Silver Coffee Pot on a Silver Tray

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The Coffee Pot

The Coffee Pot 1950
Duncan Grant (1885–1978)
Oil on canvas
H 54.5 x W 37.5 cm
RWA (Royal West of England Academy)

1967

Coffee Pot

Coffee Pot 1967
Elizabeth Organ (1934–2009)
Oil on canvas
H 33 x W 61 cm
Radnorshire Museum

1976

Still Life with Two Coffee Pots and Wooden Boards

Still Life with Two Coffee Pots and Wooden Boards 1976
Hugh Farren (b.1939)
Oil on canvas
H 92.9 x W 51.6 cm
Art & Heritage Collections, Robert Gordon University