In this blog post, Still Life Without Man – The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan, there is a quote mentioned
Robert Musil said that “all still lifes are actually paintings of the world on the sixth day of creation, when God and the world were alone together, without man!” This is precisely right, as I think Eric’s photo demonstrates it
(Eric is Eric Mencher, the artist who photographed this still life.)
I would argue that it is pastoral work and not still life work are “paintings of the world on the sixth day of creation”. Man/people are all over still life paintings and art works. Look at the work above. The main objects are handmade. You can imagine who lives there. Indeed, as you look at many still life paintings, there is always the shadow of the artist over them in the arrangement and selection of objects in the still life. While with pastoral paintings, even if there is someone embedded in the image, it is less about them and more about what surrounds them.
Smart People I Know 
I actually think your point is a good one, though someone could argue the fact that there is a painting to look at is also a indication of man.
I do have a nit to pick with Mr. Musil, God created man on the sixth day not the seventh. He rested on the seventh, so the day to look at the Earth without man should be the fifth. Or if he wanted to include animals and creatures he should have specified the sixth morning, as they were created on the sixth day before Adam.
Good points, all. And thanks for the comments.