CINCINNATI, OH.- Farm to Table: Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism explores the intersection of art, food, and identity during the last decades of the 1800s in France. The exhibition, on view June 13–September 21 at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM), features more than 60 paintings and sculptures by artists including Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Chrysler Museum of Art.


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The last quarter of the 19th century was a transformative time for agriculture, dining and the arts in France, with Paris as the hub of artistic experimentation, commercial growth and gastronomy. It was during this time that artists, both supporters of Academic tradition and those who challenged norms, like the Impressionists, vividly documented societal challenges—ranging from the rights of rural workers to the impact of industrial farming—through their celebrated works. The transformation of the culinary world was a natural theme for artists committed to depicting daily life. A universal subject, depictions of food were uniquely suited to considering the state of the nation.

The bounty of France’s agriculture and the skill of its chefs had long helped to define its strength and position on the international stage. This self-image as the world’s culinary capital became even more important in the late nineteenth century as the country grappled with war, political instability, imperialism and industrialization. Beginning with the 1870 Prussian siege of Paris (and the resultant food crisis) and continuing through the 1890s, the exhibition spans the age of Impressionism and provides a new way to consider the era’s depictions of modern life at the intersection of art, food, and social politics.

“This exhibition provides a unique lens through which to view one of the great moments in the history of European art,” shared Peter Bell, curator of European paintings, sculpture and drawings at the Cincinnati Art Museum. “Looking at food production and consumption and how it intersected with the national identity of France—both the prowess and insecurity felt by the nation—through the works of its artists has not been done before. I am particularly pleased by the opportunity for our visitors to encounter artists of great renown in their time that may not be so familiar, like Marie Braquemont, one of the great women of the Impressionist movement, or Victor Gabriel Gilbert, whose scenes of daily life in Paris create an indelible impression of the time.”

The exhibition, which was previously presented at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, and Nashville’s Frist Art Museum, offers an unmissable opportunity to witness the intricate tapestry of food culture that has shaped French identity. Following its Cincinnati run, Farm to Table will travel to the Seattle Art Museum, covering nearly 3,500 miles across its tour.

CAM has contributed two significant paintings to this exhibition tour: Pissarro’s Cabbage Patch Near the Village (1875) and William-Adolph Bouguereau’s Girl Eating Porridge (1874). The presentation in Cincinnati will include seven additional works from CAM’s collections.

The exhibition, originally named Farm to Table: Art, Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism, is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Chrysler Museum of Art. The exhibition is generously supported by Martha MacMillan and Monique Schoen Warshaw. Additional support has been provided by Betsy S. Barbanell, Lee White Galvis, Allan Green, Clare E. McKeon and the Clare McKeon Charitable Fund, Betsy Pinover Schiff, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Dr. Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation, and the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.


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