Eating the Edifice (Food History and the Art of Food)

This event occurred on January 31, 2015.

Lecture by Ivan Day
Introductory remarks by Marcia Reed

In this illustrated lecture, food historian Ivan Day outlines the evolution of edible table art from the early Renaissance to the 19th century. From gilded sugar coins distributed at 15th-century Italian wedding feasts to edible models of Victorian London omnibuses, edible table art has been of interest to people for hundreds of years. Day introduces the materials, equipment, and molds used by past masters of such edible ephemera.

The Art of Food lecture series explores culinary history and practices, and the artistic display of food, and its preparation. Learn more about the series: https://www.getty.edu/research/exhibi...

This series of events complements the exhibitions The Edible Monument: The Art of Food for Festivals, on view at the Getty Research Institute from October 13, 2015, to March 13, 2016, and Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, on view at the Getty Museum from October 13, 2015, to January 3, 2016.

The Edible Monument: The Art of Food for Festivals
Elaborate artworks made of food were created for royal court and civic celebrations in early modern Europe. Like today's Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day or Mardi Gras just before Lent, festivals were times for exuberant parties. Public celebrations and street parades featured large-scale edible monuments made of breads, cheeses, and meats. At court festivals, banquet settings and dessert buffets displayed magnificent table monuments with heraldic and emblematic themes made of sugar, flowers, and fruit. This exhibition, drawn from the Getty Research Institute's Festival Collection, features rare books and prints, including early cookbooks and serving manuals that illustrate the methods and materials for making edible monuments.
Learn more about this exhibition: https://www.getty.edu/research/exhibi...

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The cultivation, preparation, and consumption of food formed the framework for daily labor and leisure in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Illuminated manuscripts offer images of the chores that produced sustenance, cooking techniques, popular dishes, grand feasts, and diners of different social classes. Food had powerful symbolic meaning in Christian devotional practice as well as in biblical stories and saintly miracles, where it nourished both the body and the soul.
Learn more about this exhibition: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions...

The Getty Research Institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts and their various histories through its expertise, active collecting program, public programs, institutional collaborations, exhibitions, publications, digital services, and residential scholars programs. Its library and special collections of rare materials and digital resources serve an international community of scholars and the interested public. The Research Institute's activities and scholarly resources guide and sustain each other and together provide a unique environment for research, critical inquiry, and scholarly exchange.

Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/

Getty is a world-renowned cultural and philanthropic organization that shares and advances the world’s visual art and cultural heritage. Collectively and individually, our programs pursue our mission in Los Angeles and throughout the world. Our engagement in culture, arts, and philanthropy is achieved through our constituent programs: the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Getty Trust.

The Getty Museum fosters the enjoyment and understanding of art through events, exhibitions, and education. Visit the Getty Center and the Getty Villa Museum to explore exhibitions featuring art by Leonardo da Vinci, medieval artists, and others. Admission is free! Visit Getty’s website for tickets.

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Learn more about this event: https://www.getty.edu/visit/cal/event...