GOOD EATS!

    Human beings have been foodies from the start. Seventeen thousand years ago the earliest artists on Earth paid homage deep inside caves in what is now France, to their fellow creatures whose lives they were taking in order that humans could eat and live, as in this cave painting at Lascaux.

    Through the ages we came to admire painted scenes of edibles, partly for the beauty of the fruits and vegetables, and partly for the symbolism of plenty. The fact that these skilled artists could replicate such a still life before the subjects of the painting shriveled and molded was a marvel. Here are 16th century's Georg Flegel, Johannes Vermeer of the mid-17th century, a 1750 piece by Jean-Baptiste Chardin, and a work by the famous Francisco Goya.

    Then in the 20th century artists began to have fun with it. Scenes began to be abstracted and colors became happy. I think this was a sign of a bountiful, confident society. Examples are early 20th century's American Mardsen Hartley, and the wildly popular works of Wayne Thiebaud.

    A couple current odes to food include works by locals Susan Greer of Santa Rosa, and Willow LaLand-Yeilding of Healdsburg.
    Bon appetite!