Dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, the subject style of still life painting has maintained its popular appeal among artist and art lover alike. It is called still life because traditionally much of the subject matter was dead (i.e. still). Cut flowers, fruit, vegatables, game and fish, along with manmade objects, were arranged into compositions and painted. Sometimes the artist focuses on the abstract design elements within a composition. Other times the objects are symbols and deal with political or religious themes.