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.
Food Art in the Middle Ages
In the middle ages, food was often incorporated into scenes from everyday life. The artists of the time would use images of food to illustrate differences in meals and the eating habits of the…
