Food: A Cultural Culinary History

Lecture 18: 16

th-Century Manners and Reformation Diets

Life, although actually discussing sex, Saint Francis tell us how

we should approach food. First, he acknowledges that eating is

necessary to maintain life and, therefore, is a duty. It also serves

a social function and, thus, like reproduction, is a virtuous act.

Eating only to satisfy our appetite is tolerated, but is not in itself

praiseworthy, and eating to excess is dangerous.

 The greatest effect of the Catholic Reformation on the eating habits

of ordinary people was that the periods of fasting were rigorously

maintained. Monastic orders fl ourished in southern Europe, and

a slew of new miracle-working saints, some still performing

incredible feats of self-denial, suddenly appeared. On the other

hand, the church retained its fabulous wealth and high-ranking

churchmen, and wealthy monasteries remained signifi cant patrons

of the arts and refi ned cuisine.

Albala, Eating Right in the Renaissance.

Elias, The Civilizing Process.

Holt, Alcohol.

Martin, Alcohol, Violence, and Disorder.

Mintz, Sweetness and Power.

Paston-Williams, Art of Dining.

Visser, Much Depends on Dinner.

Food in Art Exercise

Begin by focusing on 16th- and 17th-century still-life paintings, which are

extremely rich on the topic of food. Campi, Aertsen, Claesz van Heda,

Beuckelaer, and Cotan are all excellent. Look for markets; kitchen scenes;

and composite food heads, like those of Archimboldo. You’ll be able to fi nd

these easily online, especially on the Web Gallery of Art. What do these

Culinary Activity

Suggested Reading