Art Depicting Food

Likely because eating is essential to human life, food is one of the most common subjects depicted in art worldwide. But what do these depictions of edible goods mean? It is tempting to interpret works of art as windows that allow us to see a different time and place and to assume that the imagery is objective and accurate. While there are images that rigorously document reality, more frequently works of art are contrived images intended to communicate ideas or to enable viewers to fantasize. To understand the significance of food depicted in any given work of art, we can ask many questions. Is the food realistic or fanciful? Do the foods have ties to specific traditions, or do they evoke certain emotions? Can the ...