“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
Luciano Pavarotti
Different Level: “A Bitesize History of Food Art” [*]
“From the lavishing Roman feasts to Instagram photos of today, depictions of food have always captivated the human imagination. The fascination led to the creation of food art, a special genre of art that features food, drinks, and other edibles as the main theme or the medium for the artwork. Food art can come in a variety of forms; it can be a sculpture, a painting, a photograph, or a digital art piece. The history of food art can be traced back to the Roman period. Food (especially wheat and grapes), was frequently featured on Roman frescoes, particularly those that depicted Bacchus, god of wine, and the images dedicated to Ceres, goddess of grain. Even artists specialized in non-religious, secular paintings, frequently depicted food, (usually scattered on the floor after banquets), simultaneously emphasizing wealth and their own painting skills. It is fair to say that Roman painters paved the way for food artists in Western art history.”
*Quotation above is taken directly from the website cited and is the property of that source. It is meant to inform the reader and to give credit where it is due.
Art UK: “Food and Feasting in European Art History” [*]
“Food is more than a form of survival and nourishment. It also symbolises traditions, entrenched attitudes and even geopolitics. For example, Europe’s insatiable appetite for sugar, coffee and tea from the sixteenth century onwards was one of the driving forces behind the expansion of colonies and empire.
Famine and the scarcity of grain in France in the 1770s was one factor among many that led to the French Revolution, further sparked by (almost certainly false) allegations that Marie Antoinette had proclaimed: ‘Let them eat cake!’
As we enter the festive season of Christmas, there is perhaps no better time to talk about food and feasting – a cultural activity that has been a popular subject in art history since at least the ancient Romans, who are today particularly notorious for their gluttonous eating habits. Let’s delve into an alternative art history, to explore how food culture has permeated our culture.”*Quotation above is taken directly from the website cited and is the property of that source. It is meant to inform the reader and to give credit where it is due.
Here is a gallery of some of our favorite artwork featuring dining throughout art history:
