Farm to Table: Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism on view June 13–September 21, 2025

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CINCINNATI — April 16, 2025 — 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.

The last quarter of the 19^th 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 is proud to have 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. 

Farm to Table’s presentation at the Cincinnati Art Museum is presented by P&G. It is sponsored by Bartlett Wealth Management, Berkley One, the Harold C. Schott Foundation and Turner Farm. Additional support provided by the Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation.

The exhibition will be on view in the museum’s Western & Southern galleries (232 and 233) from Friday, June 13 through Sunday, September 21, 2025. Tickets are $12, with discounted rates for students, children, and seniors. Save $2 when purchasing tickets online. Admission is free for museum members. The exhibition will be free for members and nonmembers every Thursday evening from 5–8 p.m. and on Friday, June 27, July 25, and August 29 from 5–9 p.m. during Art After Dark. Photography is permitted, but no flash. On social media, use the hashtag #CAMFarmToTable. 

Upcoming, related events to be announced. Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for the latest information.

Catalog

A 224-page book published by Yale University Press and edited by scholars Andrew Eschelbacher, who conceived the exhibition, and Lloyd DeWitt, accompanies the exhibition. It includes more than 100 illustrations that highlight the possibilities and precariousness of France’s colonial and industrial projects; the evolving norms of gender and class; the tenuous relationship between Paris and the provinces; and shifting understandings of science and the environment. With essays exploring the economics of wheat growing and the dairy industry, the relationship between food and gender, and the role of colonialism, the catalogue 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.

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum features a diverse, encyclopedic art collection of more than 73,000 works spanning 6,000 years. In addition to displaying its own broad collection, the museum conducts extensive research and creates and organizes several exhibitions each year. It also hosts national and international traveling exhibitions. Through these critical projects and art-related programs, activities and special events, the museum contributes to a more vibrant Cincinnati by inspiring its people and connecting its communities.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as its members. Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Generous support for the museum’s extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program. Exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free. More information is available at cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

About the American Federation of Arts

The American Federation of Arts is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally. A nonprofit organization founded in 1909, the AFA is dedicated to enriching the public’s experience and understanding of the visual arts through organizing and touring art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishing exhibition catalogues featuring important scholarly research, and developing educational programs.

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