Visual Representations of Food from Antiquity to Present

Examination of food imagery in visual art from antiquity to present. Introduction to many major movements in Western art history, with primary focus on historical and sociological implications that can be derived from close analysis of visual representations of food, kitchens, markets, and agriculture over centuries. Topics of investigation include diets of ancient Romans as evidenced by floor mosaics and wall paintings of Pompeii; religious symbolism of food during Middle Ages; opulence of Renaissance banquets; common food of common folk; significance of still life paintings; what paintings can tell us about trade; turn-of-century tables; food and eroticism; economics, packaging, and advertising; and food presentation and plating as art form.

P/NP or letter grading.