Have you ever been in a museum, already gotten your steps in for the day, and yet still be galleries away from the food court? Enough for pictures of food on canvas to make your mouth water? Don’t worry, we’ve been there. As an art and food lover, I can always appreciate when a painter takes that extra time to add a shine to a sauce or draw on that extra sprig of parsley. Some of my favorite works depict the platonic ideals of dishes, already spruced up on a plate or reimagined in interesting ways. Here are the top paintings that make me hungry.
“Cakes” by Wayne Thiebaud. For all the readers with a sweet tooth (or a penchant for Wes Anderson-esque composition), this painting will have you ready to skip straight to dinner. Thiebaud is no stranger to the art of food, also illustrating some of the tastiest-looking ice cream and candy you’ve seen. As for this work, I am a rare lover of frosting in extreme amounts, so I couldn’t resist these oil paint-iced concoctions. The artist actually applied paint in a way similar to a baker, using a palette knife to slick on large amounts. The real question: With thirteen pastel pastries in this picture, how are you supposed to pick just one?
“Rudolf II of Habsburg as Vertumnus” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Hey, you are what you eat. Once you get over making eye contact with your food, I’d bet old King Rudy contains more than your daily value of vitamin C. This work, by the sixteenth-century Italian painter known for his fruit portraits, makes for the perfect afternoon snack. It also held political undertones, representing the bounty of Rudolf’s reign and his intention to rule the entire natural world. With some good cheese pairings, he’d be the perfect dinner companion.
“Freedom from Want” by Norman Rockwell. Pictured: the classic American holiday dinner. Not pictured: me, patiently waiting for them to carve the turkey already. I can appreciate a home-cooked meal, and nothing says Rockwellian life like a grandmother-perfected dinner recipe. Similarly, his paintings of diner counters during the post-World War II era highlight pots of coffee, chocolate malts, and stacked sandwiches. Here, an entire family gathers around the table. There’s already enough of them there; surely they can squeeze in one more plate.
“Gebakken Ei” by Tjalf Sparnaay. We all like our eggs a little different: fried, scrambled, poached, et cetera. But Mr. Sparnaay has served up the most perfect sunny side up ever put into two dimensions. Take a look at the perfect crackly edge, ripe for a bagel sandwich. See the golden yellow yolk just waiting to be pierced with a corner of toast. If you’re looking to boost your appetite, Sparnaay’s works will have you opening up GrubHub in the middle of a gallery. A specialist in the ultra-realistic, his food paintings could be easily mistaken for macro photography.
A skilled painter can make a flat image good enough to eat. Besides, the starving artist is so out of style.
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