Art and cooking, two areas, at first glance, seem different and independent. However, in the world of modern creativity, they have become integral components of each other. In this blog, we explore the exciting world of visual gastronomy, where artists turn culinary motifs into works of art, creating delicious artificial images.
Art on a Plate: How Artists Embody Taste in Paintings
“A still life with food is not only a scene for me, but also an opportunity to create an intriguing story about how different ingredients interact, creating harmony or dissonance. My paintings are culinary stories that reveal the magic of the ordinary.” - Emily Hughes
Food is an important component in the life of every person. We need to eat every day to live and be healthy. Food, as the basis of human existence, has an influence in the cultural and social life of people. It is therefore not surprising that food has become an object of interest among artists. She is endowed with various symbols and status. Food consumption practices were described in books and appeared on the canvases of artists. Food can be an important social marker and reveal a lot about the people who eat it. Eating habits, specific food preferences and regional characteristics reveal a person in more detail.
Markers are not limited to just a single description of a person; food can also tell about the state of society or a certain group of people. Food brings hidden details to the surface. Table scenes on ancient paintings help to examine the cultural and food practices of the past; you can see how differently people relate to food.
One of the important components is the theme of food in still life. In turn, in a still life, a variety of fruits and vegetables have
their meanings, which vary depending on the region. The next important point is the selection of vegetables and fruits. The painting of the past is beautiful because it gives us a visual idea of what the fruits and vegetables familiar to our table looked like several centuries ago. Sometimes it’s hard to believe how agricultural crops have changed thanks to selection; before that, most plants had fruits with a small amount of pulp and large seeds or pits.
Still life is a genre of fine art that depicts objects of lifeless nature, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, dishes, etc. Still life with food is one of the most popular types of still life, which has a long and rich history. A still life with food can serve not only a decorative function, but also a symbolic one, reflecting the social status, religious beliefs, moral values or aesthetic tastes of the artist or customer.
Let's consider which culinary elements become key visual accents in works of art:
1) Food as a symbol. Food can be not only the subject of an image, but also a symbol that carries a hidden or obvious meaning. Food can symbolize different aspects of life such as wealth, death, love, religion, politics, etc. For example, Renaissance paintings often depicted fruits that had a double meaning: on the one hand, they meant fertility and abundance, on the other hand, they reminded of the Fall and temptation. Thus, in the painting “Madonna with a Pomegranate” by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1487, the pomegranate that Mary holds in her hand symbolizes the unity of Christ and the church, as well as his suffering and resurrection.
2) Food as a contrast. Food can also be used to create contrast between different elements of a composition, such as color, shape, texture, light and shadow. Food can stand out against the background of other objects or, conversely, merge with them, creating a certain mood or effect. For example, in the painting “The Artists' Breakfast” by American artist Edward Hopper, painted in 1942, food plays the role of a contrasting element that emphasizes the loneliness and alienation of the characters. On the table in front of them are plates of food that looks cold and tasteless, as well as cups of coffee that bring them no comfort. Food here becomes a symbol of emptiness and hopelessness.
3) Food as an experiment. Food can also be an experimental subject, allowing artists to explore new forms, techniques and materials. Food can be transformed, deformed, combined or destroyed to create unusual and original images. Food can also be used as a material to create works of art that have their own characteristics, such as smell, taste, texture and shelf life. For example, in 1961, Italian artist Piero Manzoni created a series of works called "Artist's Shit", in which he filled tin cans with his excrement and signed them with his name. It was a way to criticize the commercialization of art and provoke the public.
Thus, food in art not only pleases the visual senses, but also becomes a powerful tool for conveying ideas, emotions and even criticism of society. She highlights the close connection between visual and culinary arts, pushing the boundaries of creativity and perception.
The Art of Nutritious Still Lifes: Taste and Symbolism in the Works of Artists
"In the art of food still life, I find satisfaction in capturing the moment when culinary art meets the visual. My goal is to make the viewer not only want to taste the delicacy on canvas, but also to feel the atmosphere and vibrations of the flavor world." - James Baker
In the world of great artists, still life with food turns into amazing art, full of flavors and deep meanings. These works not only delight the eye, but also reveal to us the imagination of talented craftsmen playing with shapes, colors and symbols. Let's dive into this culinary world of art together, where every element of a still life is not only a treat for the visual senses, but also a mysterious code that hides amazing stories behind it.
Pieter Aertsen, "Market Scene", 1569
In the 16th century, having replaced religious subjects, food came into genre painting in the Netherlands - on the table, in the market, in the kitchen. Peter Aertsen, who went down in the history of world painting as one of the founders of this genre, became a writer of everyday life of common people, peasants, servants, and merchants. From painting to painting, the viewer finds himself either in the “Butcher Shop” (1551) or in the “Abundant Kitchen” (1570), where the tables are laden with huge hams and fish, dressed carcasses, cow heads and sausages, monumental heads of cheese and pyramids of vegetables and fruit; then to the “Peasant Festival” (1951), where they dance the “Egg Dance” (1552), full of hidden symbols and meanings; then to “The Pancake House” (1960) or to “The Cook” (1559), with her posture, stature and gaze resembling an empress and skewering carcasses with a majestic and menacing look.
The market, with all its characters - the vegetable seller, the game dealer, the butcher - is a separate theme for Artsen, allowing you to play out your favorite plots and scenes an infinite number of times. In all his shops and markets, all kinds of food takes up most of the space and “plays” the main role, while human characters fade into the background.
Floris Van Dyck, "Still Life with Cheeses", 1615
“Breakfast piece” is the name of a type of still life that originated in 1610 in Haarlem and Antwerp. Floris Van Dyck was one of the first to paint these “breakfast parts”, tables set for one person, with food so plentiful that it could easily feed a large group: a pyramid of cheese heads rises in the center of the table, covered with an oriental tablecloth; nearby are baskets of fruit and bread, plates of olives and nuts, a jug and glasses of wine. The illusion of reality is amazing; It is not for nothing that in the 17th century Theodore Schrevelius wrote: “This is Floris van Dyck, who can lure and capture passionate women and even birds with his artistic brush.”
Frans Snyders, "The Fruit Shop", between 1618-1621
“Fruit Shop” is part of a series of four paintings by the Flemish artist, famous for his stunningly exuberant still lifes: “Game Shop”, “Vegetable Shop” and “Fish Shop”. Flemish still life is a celebration of life, a triumph of nature. In his still lifes, Snyders not only glorified the abundant nature, but also encrypted different meanings in them. In the “Fruit Shop” everything has its own symbolic meaning: the noble lady choosing peaches, the dog barking at her feet, and the monkey knocking over a basket of fruit. And of course, it is impossible to take your eyes off the massive wooden counter, bursting with baskets of every imaginable fruit. It seems that everything that grows and bears fruit is in the “Fruit Shop”: grapes and figs, pomegranates and oranges, lemons and plums, cherries and pears, peaches, apples and blackberries. “A pantry full of precious dishes,” Levinson-Lessing called Snyders’ paintings.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, "Summer", 1573
Italian painter, decorator, mannerist, Giuseppe Arcimboldo was one of the most remarkable mockers of his time. He created portraits, but in a way that no one had done before. His portraits can safely be called still lifes, because the “faces” in them are assembled, like a mosaic, from fruits, vegetables, bird feathers, fish fins, mushrooms and grass. Renaissance people loved puzzles, riddles and all sorts of oddities, so Arcimboldo was not more strange, but simply catered to the tastes of his time.
“Summer” is one of four paintings in the “Seasons” cycle, symbolizing the stages of human life: youth, youth, maturity and old age. Arcimboldo's youth of life consists of juicy and ripe fruits, vegetables and berries - quinces, peaches, cherries, grapes, raspberries and blackberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplants, framed by ears of wheat.
During his lifetime, Arcimboldo would have been incredibly popular, but after his death he fell into oblivion for many years. Interest in his work reappeared in the 30s of the twentieth century and has not waned. Paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo can be found in museums in Vienna, Innsbruck, Madrid, in the Louvre in Paris and the Uffizi Gallery, in Sweden and the USA.
Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin, "Still Life with a Porcelain Jug, Pomegranate and Grapes", 1763
In an era when French painting was known for its grandeur and decorative embellishment, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin's still lifes and genre scenes were surprising in their simplicity and modesty. And they were always almost mathematically verified: all the objects in the paintings were neatly and carefully arranged, there was not a single careless detail. But despite their unpretentiousness, Chardin’s still lifes are charming. “Some people write with paints, and others with feelings.” These words of the artist about painting apply to his paintings to the greatest extent.
The world of homely, lived-in things comes to life under the artist’s brush, showing the viewer the everyday life of Parisians of the third estate. Behind the mise-en-scene - a jug of wine, two glasses, fruit - one can discern a part of this everyday life, with a way of life, traditions, events that can be lived together. “Chardin’s style is unique. It has something in common with a sketch, which you don’t know what it is up close; as it moves away, the thing takes shape, and finally becomes nature itself,” Denis Diderot said about Chardin’s painting.
Ivan Khrutsky, “Mushrooms, fish and vegetables”, 1838
Ivan Fomich Khrutsky, a Russian painter of the second half of the 19th century, is best known in Russian art as a master of “flowers and fruits,” in other words, as a creator of wonderful still lifes. They contain a connection with artistic traditions, as well as a “picturesque thoroughness” of the brush, which evoked associations with the paintings of the old masters. “Mushrooms, Fish and Vegetables” in mood, color scheme and style are as close as possible to a Dutch still life of the 17th century.
The object world of Khrutsky’s still lifes is devoid of any special symbolic meaning, but it speaks volumes. Simple kitchen utensils, vegetables and mushrooms, berries and fruits show life in a small rural estate in the second third of the 19th century, everything reminds of summer freedom and home comfort.
Looking at “Mushrooms, Fish and Vegetables,” you can almost physically feel the properties of each of the depicted objects: the roughness of the basket, the suede softness of the mushroom caps, the cool side of the fish and the smoothness of the copper dish. You can even smell the forest, spruce needles, river, life next to nature, in harmony with it.
Pierre Auguste Renoir, "Onion", 1881
Still life did not play a major role in the work of the Impressionists, but, nevertheless, it is found in almost all artists of this movement. Renoir is no exception; during his life he painted 1880 still lifes!
Renoir's fruit and vegetable mixes are not always realistic in terms of gastronomic compatibility, but they are always delightful in color, light and “taste”. He painted still lifes immediately after finishing a portrait in order to relax and recharge, which is partly why they are all so charming and light. Still life “Onion” is simple and ascetic. Six onions and two heads of garlic are masterfully painted, the texture of all objects is masterfully painted, the round onion sides seem varnished. Despite its simplicity, the still life feels the heat and brightness of the Mediterranean - the painting was painted by Renoir during a trip to Italy.
Boris Kustodiev, “Merchant's Wife at Tea”, 1918
It is difficult to imagine that Kustodiev’s spiritual and colourfully generous, luminous art retained its amazing qualities even at a time when illness deprived him of the ability to move. But the artist, in his own words, was saved by the “wonderful land of memories” - scenes and people of a life that had already passed away, but had not lost its tart flavor. “The Merchant's Wife at Tea,” written by Kustodiev in hungry Petrograd in 1918, is a wonderful and characteristic example of such a figurative memory of magnificent beauties, warm azure evenings, the rituals of solemn tea drinking, and life so beautiful in its leisurely and measured manner.
In this still life by Kustodiev there is everything in abundance, in abundance, but this excess does not seem vulgar. The marble shoulders of a portly merchant's wife, a huge sparkling samovar, obviously bursting with heat, a watermelon dripping with sugar juice sits next to pastries and fruit on the table, a cat fawning on the hostess - this is not a popular print, but a dream embodied on canvas. A dream of a life that could be like this.
As you can see, the image of food is not only a way to convey reality, but also a way to express your imagination, ideas and feelings. Culinary art is a unique combination of taste and vision that can surprise, delight and inspire. Colliding and intertwining, they enrich each other, creating unique and inspiring works. In the world of visual gastronomy, where food becomes an artistic expression, an amazing path opens up leading to a symbiosis of taste and visual perception.
Take a look at our catalog where you will find amazing still lifes depicting food. These works of art painting the splendor of the culinary world, conveying taste and atmosphere through the masterful execution of every detail. We invite you on a visual journey through cozy kitchens and opulent dining scenes – our food still lifes promise a true visual delight. Immerse yourself in the sophistication of shapes and colors that will make you take a fresh look at familiar culinary images. Browse our catalog and discover unique artificial worlds where food becomes not only an object, but a source of inspiration.