99854 - Food From the Renaissance to Contemporary European Art

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the Made in Italy agro-food industry from a historical-artistic point of view. Furthermore, based on the reading of artworks and documentary sources, he/she possesses the basic tools for understanding, valorising and communicating food through its artistic representation.

Course contents

Food, as a fundamental element of human life, has always been represented in art, taking on different symbologies and interpretations: from the sobriety of the mediaeval table, to its exaltation in the luxuriant Renaissance and Baroque banquets, up to the consumerist abundance of the 20th-20th centuries, it has allowed art to narrate the evolution of society, not only according to the logic of changes in agro-food production (the example of the manuscripts of the naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi will be seen), but also according to the sense of taste and belonging to different social classes. The different models of 'valorisation', 'protection' and 'Made in Italy' will also be discussed, pointing out those differences inscribed in a long-term history.

Art and food: the infinite relationships

The organization of a work space: between historic kitchens and painted kitchens

Food culture in the arts from the beginnings of civilisation to the end of the Middle Ages 

Iconographies of food in the Modern Age: food becomes the protagonist

Painted food: the Still Life genre

The 'sale à manger' (17th century): architecture at the service of conviviality

The transformations of food consumption: women and food in art

From Pop Art to food photography

Food and cinema: the fortune of food on contemporary screens; relations with video art

Food in art at the time of Expo (2015)

The Convivial table of Andrea Salvetti (2016)

The food museum

Readings/Bibliography

Fabrizio Lollini, Lo sguardo sul cibo, Venezia, Edizioni Engramma, 2016.

Piero Bevilacqua, Felicità d’Italia. Paesaggio, arte, musica, cibo, Bari-Roma, Editori Laterza, 2017, capitoli I e II, pp. 3-67.  

Other teaching materials and additional bibliography will be provided during the course.

 

 

Teaching methods

Lectures with various audiovisual aids (projections of images and digital films) and, if possible, visits to exhibitions and museums. Additional materials and proposals for further study will be uploaded to Virtuale.

Assessment methods

The examination will be oral and will focus on the discussion of the bibliography and lecture notes.

The student must demonstrate the acquisition and possession of the fundamentals of the topics covered and the methodological approach adopted.

In particular:

1. The test in which the student demonstrates the ability to analyse artworks and texts and to be able to place them within an organic vision of the topics addressed in the lessons will be graded with marks of excellence. The expressive mastery used during the interview will also be fundamental.

2. Knowledge that is mostly mnemonic, the ability to analyse not in depth and language that is correct but not always appropriate will lead to fair marks.

3. Approximate knowledge, superficial comprehension, poor analytical ability and not always appropriate expression will lead to little more than adequate marks.

4. Formative deficiencies, inappropriate language, lack of orientation in front of the works or within the bibliographical materials will only be negatively assessed.

The method of examination described is the same for attending and non-attending students.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations that will be made available to students on Virtuale at the end of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Valeria Rubbi