Still Life with Tomatoes, a Bowl of Aubergines & OnionsLuis Egidio Melndez was a Spanish painter. Although he received little recognition during his lifetime and died in poverty, Melndez is considered the greatest Spanish still life painter of the 18th century. Century. His mastery of composition and light and his remarkable ability to render the volume and texture of individual objects enabled him to transform the most mundane of kitchen items into powerful images. A perfect paint by numbers for adults.