Still life was always considered the lowest tier of fine art in the hierarchy of genres. It was seen as mere rote or mechanical copying of what already existed with little creative additions.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_genres

If you take drawing/painting class I guarantee you’ll do still lifes.

Nobody cared to photograph apples in a bowl or flowers. It was obvious the photographs were nowhere near as interesting as paintings unless you were particularly gifted with lights and a camera.

Personal portraits on the other hand, were far more useful on everyday basis and more accurate as photographs, even if some glamour was sacrificed in the trade off.