Why did still life paintings become so popular in the 18th century? What does the author state is the intention of the still life artist?

Still-life painting as an independent genre or specialty first flourished in the Netherlands during the early 1600s, although German and French painters (for example, Georg Flegel and Sebastian Stoskopff

The 18th century was a time period that was attributed to a shifting economy and changing taste in art. Still life paintings were so popular because the public treasured the realistic portrayal of secular objects above all else in painting. The author states that the intention of still life artist is solely to explore color, form, texture, and composition.