Art in (and of) the kitchen

Visit any art museum and you will find food depicted in a large number of the paintings on display. There are many reasons painters choose the subjects of food and dining: food contains a lot of symbolism, and as Anne Ewbank points out in a recent Gastro Obscura article, food paintings “also were a way for artists to flex their observational skills and their deftness at painting tiny details.” Last, but not least by any means, these works are beautiful to behold.

Putting food-themed art in dining rooms is centuries old, but adding art to the kitchen itself is a modern conceit. If you look at kitchen inspiration photos, you will likely see framed art on display, sometimes as a small flourish but often as a bold statement in the kitchen. While I was slow to warm up to the idea due to visions of grease- and grime-spattered paintings, I have come to appreciate being surrounded by gorgeous art as I chop, stir, whisk, and (especially) as I clean. You don’t have to limit kitchen art to depictions of food and drink, although that is the most common theme.

One of the first items I purchased was a set of illustrations by Tom Hovey, the artist who creates the lovely baker’s inspiration images that appear on the Great British Bake Off. I set four of them in a long rectangular frame and hung it over the doorway to my pantry. A framed album cover from the band Cake (Prolonging the Magic) also graces the pantry. These was followed by a print by chef Jacques Pépin, who has enjoyed painting as a hobby for over 50 years. He sells limited-edition prints and originals, and since Pépin greatly influenced my early forays into the world of cooking, I decided it would be fitting to have one his works in my kitchen and chose the image of lilacs shown above. Next, at a local art fair I picked up a mixed media collage that is an homage to pie baking, and I purchased two striking vegetable still-life paintings from a friend. The last two reside on the bookshelves housing my cookbook collection.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include cookbooks as art. Cookbook Book is usually on display, plus I rotate additional tomes in and out as the mood strikes. Usually I choose vintage books such as La Technique, Larousse Gastronomique, or my older editions of Joy of Cooking. Having these meaningful pieces around me when I cook and bake is both comforting and inspiring. What kind of kitchen or food-themed art do you have on display?