Art & Food Styling
How 18th century still-life paintings can inspire 21st century food styling
A month ago, I was in Madrid and spent an afternoon at the Prado museum all by myself. I love going to exhibitions alone, cause I can observe and spend as much time as I want in front of every piece of art, wander around in circles and create my own journey through the space without having to communicate and coordinate with someone else. Many times, I write my thoughts or just walk up and down the exhibition space just observing the lighting of the room or the architecture of the space. The Museo del Prado holds approximately 20.000 pieces of art dating from the 12th century till the early 20th century.
It is the second time I visit the museum. It was one of these museums that you need hours and hours to walk around the corridors, get lost, and all this information gets so overwhelming. I find myself often being so full of the imagery that my brain cannot absorb any more information. It was one of these days, late in the afternoon. I didn’t want to leave the museum but still I could not really pay attention to the historical references and get inspired. Till I found myself in this one room that was a dead-end and I had to go back. I turn around and observe the room. It had at least 40-45 paintings, all still-lifes depicting food and kitchenware. The compositions and light and the way the painter conveyed texture and volume is remarkable. I go close to a painting and look for the name of the painter. Luis Egidio Melendez. I write it to my notes to remember to research about him. Later I found out his was one of the greatest Spanish still life painters of the 18th century. It is so eye-catching how he has used all these mundane kitchen stuff and food, combined in such stylized way, tight but still having depth. What was common in all his paintings was that the subject that he drew was closer to the viewer at a lower vantage point, to draw the viewer in and making him really pay attention. The technique in his drawings is so compelling and his compositions so nicely set-up but still referencing the everyday life, the kitchen, the fruit and vegetables we daily use. This balance between art and reality.
I just realize that I am looking around at imagery that resembles what a food stylist would have set-up today for a photoshoot. And I wonder, how does paintings depicting food of the 18th and 19th century can be a source of inspiration today? And what information can we collect and re-invent from what seemed a random still-life set up for a painting?
BELLOW: Still Life Paintings dated from 1760-1975, oil on canvas, Luis Egidio Meléndez .
In reality the set-up is not random at all. The artist both consciously and unconsciously knows very well what and how his set-up should be. Who would imagine back then that setting up a composition of fruit and vegetables, copper spoons and pots would be today an actual paid profession. But in the other hand these paintings show how much artistry is needed for the content to be so powerful. Today it is depicted through photography but this on its own has so many stylistic differences and outlets. I know this discussion can be very long, I actually would love to do it as PHD research topic but lets just stay on the surface for now. Just an analysis of ideas and first impressions. I really would like to focus on the aspect of composition, the negative spaces created, the light and shadows, the combination of objects, the choice of raw fish, meat and fruit and vegetables.
You may not be able to see it in all these paintings but theories and techniques used today in food styling can be traced – which are all actually techniques used in painting since always. The idea of triangulation between the objects in the scenery, the Fibonacci theory, horizontal or vertical layers, and also color theories are some of the aspects we use when setting a scenery for a food related shoot but also in product set-up is also very common. These methods create the mood of the final image, the focal point and what you want the viewer to see first, but also decide the way you want to ‘sell’ your product, whether this is the painting/picture or the actual product depicted.
Being and architect and art lover, having seen many exhibitions and have been into drawing and sculpting has clearly formed my unconsciousness which now this is reflected in the work I do related to food styling and composition. However, I am very intrigued to see how I can actually be inspired and influenced more directly from these paintings and the art throughout the centuries. Obviously, this is a process that takes time but *note to self* I hope that this will be something I will get back to. After leaving the museum a few images came to mind of people I admire and create really unique work today and I see their work as pioneering. And I couldn’t help but start trying to decompose and understand their work based on the paintings I had just seen.
