In this sumptuous exploration of food images in European and American painting from the early Renaissance to the present, Kenneth Bendiner sees food painting as a separate classification of art with its own history.

From Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s painting of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II as a heap of fruits and vegetables to artists depicting lavish banquets for wealthy patrons, food and art are remarkably intertwined. In this richly illustrated book, Gillian Riley provides fresh insight into how the relationship between humans and food has been portrayed in art from ancient times to the Renaissance. Exploring a myriad of images including hunting scenes depicted in Egyptian Books of Hours and fruit in Roman wall paintings and mosaics, Riley argues that works of art present us with historical information about the preparation and preservation of food that written sources do not—for example, how meat, fish, cheese, and vegetables were dried, salted, and smoked, or how honey was used to conserve fruit. She also examines what these works reveal to us about how animals and plants were raised, cultivated, hunted, harvested, and traded throughout history. Looking at the many connections between food, myth, and religion, she surveys an array of artworks to answer questions such as whether the Golden Apples of the Hesperides were in fact apples or instead quinces or oranges. She also tries to understand whether our perception of fruit in Christian art is skewed by their symbolic meaning. With 170 color images of fine art, illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, frescoes, stained glass, and funerary monuments, Food in Art is an aesthetically pleasing and highly readable book for art buffs and foodies alike.

In Consuming Painting, Allison Deutsch challenges the pervasive view that Impressionism was above all about visual experience. Focusing on the language of food and consumption as they were used by such prominent critics as Baudelaire and Zola, she writes new histories for familiar works by Manet, Monet, Caillebotte, and Pissarro and creates fresh possibilities for experiencing and interpreting them. Examining the culinary metaphors that the most influential critics used to express their attraction or disgust toward painting, Deutsch rethinks French modern-life painting in relation to the visceral reactions that these works evoked in their earliest publics. Writers posed viewing as analogous to ingestion and used comparisons to food to describe the appearance of paint and the painter’s process. The food metaphors they chose were aligned with specific female types, such as red meat for sexualized female flesh, confections for fashionably made-up women, and hearty vegetables for agricultural laborers. These culinary figures of speech, Deutsch argues, provide important insights into both the fabrication of the feminine and the construction of masculinity in nineteenth-century France. Consuming Painting exposes the social politics at stake in the deeply gendered metaphors of sense and sensation. Original and convincing, Consuming Painting upends traditional narratives of the sensory reception of modern painting. This trailblazing book is essential reading for specialists in nineteenth-century art and criticism, gender studies, and modernism.

" Food has always been an important source of knowledge about culture and society. Art and Appetite takes a fascinating new look at depictions of food in American art, demonstrating that the artists' representations of edibles offer thoughtful reflection on the cultural, political, economic, and social moments in which they were created. Using food as an emblem, artists were able to both celebrate and critique their society, expressing ideas relating to politics, race, class, gender, and commerce. Focusing on the late 18th century through the Pop artists of the 20th century, this lively publication investigates the many meanings and interpretations of eating in America. Richly illustrated, Art and Appetite features still life and trompe l'oeil painting, sculpture, and other works by such celebrated artists as William Merritt Chase, John Singleton Copley, Elizabeth Paxton, Norman Bel Geddes, Stuart Davis, Edward Hopper, Alice Neel, Wayne Thiebaud, Roy Lichtenstein, and many more. Essays by leading experts address topics including the horticultural and botanical underpinnings of still-life paintings, the history of alcohol consumption in the United States, Thanksgiving, and food in the world of Pop art. In addition to the images and essays, this book includes a selection of 18th- and 19th-century recipes for all-American dishes including molasses cake, stewed terrapin, rice blancmange, and roast calf's head. "--

15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces, Anna’s first book, is one of our strongest selling titles. She made watercolor approachable, fun and easier than ever—and now she’s doing the same with the latest painting trend, gouache. A marriage between acrylics and watercolor, gouache is the next big thing in the art world—it’s easier to control than watercolor and allows for richer pigments and easy fixes, making it a great option for beginners. Anna shows you just how magical gouache can be—and each of her 50 projects can be completed in just five easy-to-follow steps. Divided into chapters on beautiful landscapes, colorful flowers and plants, cute animals and more, readers will have a big variety of projects to choose from. And each step is accompanied by an image, making it even easier for readers to follow along. Anna is the founder of DearAnnArt, an online art community with hundreds of thousands of followers.

“An emotional trip down memory lane for those of us who count our favorite restaurants as cherished personalities and members of our family.” —Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack From romantic spots like Le Bernardin to beloved holes-in-the-wall like Corner Bistro, John Donohue renders people’s favorite restaurants in a manner that captures the emotional pull a certain place can have on the hearts of New Yorkers. All the Restaurants in New York is a collection of these drawings, characterized by their appealingly loose and gently distorted lines. These transportive images are intentionally spare, leaving the viewer room to layer on their own meaning and draw connections to their own memories of a place, of a time, of an atmosphere. Featuring an eclectic mix of 100 restaurants—from Minetta Tavern to Frankies 457 and River Café—this charming collection of drawings is accompanied by interviews with the owners, chefs, and loyal patrons of these much-loved restaurants. “I love John’s spare, romantic, quirky portrayals of iconic New York restaurants so much that I purchased over a dozen of his prints to hang around my office. These places come to define our lives in New York—that job right next to Balthazar, that boyfriend who lived above Prune, that interview that took place at ‘21’ . . . They deserve this spotlight, this tribute.” —Amanda Kludt, Editor in Chief, Eater “John Donohue is the Rembrandt of New York City’s restaurant facades. His collection is an invaluable, evocative guide to the ever-changing, slowly vanishing landscape of the city’s great dining scene. It belongs on the bookshelf of every devout chowhound and fresser.” —Adam Platt, Restaurant Critic, New York magazine

Learn the Art of Gouache with Easy-to-Paint, Stunning Floral Designs Let your creativity bloom with this inspiring step-by-step guide to painting lush roses, delicate daisies, blossoming cacti and more. Gouache makes it easy to create rich, bright colors for an impressive impact in just a few strokes. This forgiving medium is great for beginners, as well as watercolor artists looking for a bold, new way to create stunning artwork that pops. Vidhi Khandelwal, founder of The Ink Bucket art and stationery brand, guides you each step of the way through simple techniques to recreate her signature florals. Use your new skills to begin a daily art habit, create stunning compositions to brighten up your home and add a personal touch to homemade cards and gifts. With a trove of traceable flower sketches right in the book, you can focus on your painting journey without worrying about how to draw every line. Along with the essential strokes, you’ll learn simple shading methods for realistic petals, and lovely layering techniques to add fullness and texture in each blossom. Bring your project to life with fun details like veined leaves and colorful backgrounds, and even venture into floral hand lettering. Whether you’re looking to boost your painting skills or enjoy a relaxing new hobby, this book provides a refreshing creative escape.