Books usually mean books. Don't make things complicated.
Still life paintings by Vincent van Gogh - Paris - was created in 1886.
No one but the artist knows what it truley means. But I interpret it as a messed up, empty life.
its still life paintings
In all of Matisse' paintings he never painted still life.
flowers
There are several paintings entitled "still life" or "vanitas" by saint-andre. Be more specific. Of course they were all from the second half of the 17th century...
Fruit, animals.
Portrait is generally used as a noun. It could be used as an adjective in cases like this: I'm going to separate the portrait paintings from the still life paintings.
Still-Life with Game-Birds by Gottfried Libalt, is an example of a still-life painting which demonstrates the technique of oil on canvas. Still-life paintings are ranked the least prestigious category by the French Académie de peinture et de sculpture, depict inanimate subjects, typically common objects such as food, flowers, and books.
To live as if you were still alive
The earliest known of his paintings is Still Life with Cabbage and Clogs.
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin