John F. Francis Paints Cheese Still Lifes in America
Poets involved
What happened
The American painter John F. Francis, active in the mid-19th century, created numerous still-life paintings featuring cheese, including 'Wine, Cheese, and Fruit.' Francis turned to still life after daguerreotypes made his portrait trade obsolete, and his detailed depictions of cheese and other foods reflect the growing prosperity of American life and the cultural importance of food in the young nation.
Literary impact
Francis's cheese paintings correspond with a surge of American food writing and poetry in the 19th century, as authors like Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman incorporated images of dairy into their explorations of American identity and abundance. His work also influenced later American poets who found in his detailed food portraits a visual analogue to their own poetic descriptions of everyday American life. His art remains a touchstone for American culinary culture.
Source: Wikipedia
