Seattle Art Museum (SAM) had me at “Art, Food, and Impressionism” with a current exhibit in downtown Seattle.
Visions of sitting in a cozy French bistro, while breaking baguettes with passionate, art-bending artists like Monet and Renoir, floated in my mind’s eye.
Overview
The show is the last stop on a tour co-organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art and American Federation of Arts. At play is the intersection of French food and national identity through more than fifty artworks by Impressionist artists.
Background
The period between 1860 and 1900, roughly coinciding with the Impressionist era, was one of upheaval and social unrest. The Franco-Prussian War ended. The Third Republic replaced the Second Empire under Napoleon III and the short-lived, revolutionary Paris Commune. Paris danced with dynamic change in the creation of wide, tree-lined boulevards, grand public parks, and high-spirited entertainment.
Enter the Impressionists, whose rejection by the staid Académie des Beaux-Arts spurred a groundbreaking new art movement. Impressionism loosened the grip of painting traditional, historical themes in favor of lively, light-filled paintings of contemporary French life. Painting en plein air (in open air) became a rallying cry for the new artists. Natural light, color, and movement became fashionable.
Culinary Themes
Within the context of this tumultuous period of shifting identities, the Impressionist artworks selected for this exhibit reflect two intertwining themes: the elevation of French cuisine and the disparity of social classes through the lens of food.
The paintings capture a variety of food scenes connecting food growers, sellers, and consumers, organized by sections accordingly. Scenes range from rural laborers, like shepherds tending their flocks and farmers tilling the fields, to fresh-food markets connecting rural and urban livelihoods. Luxurious meals set on fine dishware shift to humble tableaus like that of a young, unadorned girl sitting on a stool eating porridge.
Selected Works
Under the lamp
Here, the dining scene reflects an intimate moment between Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley and his partner Eugénie Lescouezec. Love shines in Sisley’s eyes as he gazes upon his future wife over a simple meal of bread, soup, and wine.
This painting called me back for a second look for its atmospheric lighting cast by the green gas-lit lamp, and the vibrant, bold brushstrokes Bracquemond uses to capture this moment in time.
A thoughtful art exhibit can lead you down a rabbit hole of discovery, delving into the background stories of featured artists. For instance, I learned that Bracquemond was one in a trio of acclaimed women Impressionist painters of the period, alongside Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. And that Bracquemond’s husband, Félix, discouraged her from painting.
Bracquemond eventually surrendered to her husband’s disapproval, giving up painting professionally for the remaining 26 years of her life. I imagine how Bracquemond’s work might have flourished beyond the known 157 paintings she produced, had she followed her artistic calling with her husband’s support instead of his censure.
Dinner, El Kantara
Private collection © Nancy Mueller Photos
I love this painting for its composition and cultural insights. The young boy is seated on the ground between two adult men while drinking from a large cup. Girardet gives viewers a peek into the Algerian cultural practice of sitting on the ground while eating and using the right hand to reach for food from a communal dish.
Nevertheless, exhibit notes suggest that this portrayal of an everyday Algerian scene may have reinforced the French belief in more “civilized” eating customs. Hence, the justification from a French perspective for imperial oversight in the day.
Raised in a family of painters and printmakers, Eugène Alexis Girardet received his formal education at the École des Beaux-Arts. Inspired by his mentor’s travels in North Africa and the Middle East, Girardet followed suit.
Immersed in the culture, the artist produced landscape paintings of the Sahara Desert and everyday scenes of the people who lived there. His later works reveal the increasing influence of the Impressionists, evidenced by the looser brushstrokes and light effects of his paintings.
haystack
When it comes to Impressionism, artist Claude Monet represents the pinnacle and my favorite artist of the pioneering art movement. By painting a single motif in a series of paintings — haystacks, poplar trees, Rouen Cathedral, and water lilies — he captures the transformative power of light in changing seasons, times of day, and weather. This became a hallmark of his artworks.
In this painting, a lone haystack set in a rural landscape pays homage to the farmers who grow wheat, barley, and oats for urban markets. The haystack is framed in golden light radiating over poplar trees and verdant rolling hills sprinkled in shades of blue.
Food for Thought
An inspired installation in SAM’s exhibit showcases an elegantly set dining table next to a reading nook. Museum-goers can pull up a seat while browsing through featured books that complement the theme of “Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism.”
Prompt cards placed at each table setting spark engaging conversations with others by asking questions like ““If you could dine with anyone, who would it be?”
Thanks to Seattle Art Museum for the opportunity to preview “Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism.”
If You Go
Seattle Art Museum is located at 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. SAM respectfully acknowledges the museum’s location on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.
“Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism” runs through January 18th, 2026.
For tickets and resources, visit Seattle Art Museum.