John Varriano: Art, Cuisine, and the Historian's Eye

Where Italian Art and Food Culture Meet

John Varriano unites two disciplines that are usually kept separate: the visual arts of Italy and the food traditions that shaped them. Holding a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Michigan and having served for many years as the Idella Plimpton Kendall Professor of Art at Mount Holyoke College, he has devoted decades to studying Italian Renaissance and Early Modern painting, architecture, and cuisine as connected expressions of their era.

His output spans six books and over fifty articles, with some writings translated into Italian and Spanish. Long stays in Italy, France, and Malta have given him direct familiarity with the places, markets, kitchens, and monuments that inform his research. He offers lectures on art and culinary history to audiences that range from academic departments to cultural organizations and general-interest groups.

What You Can Expect from a Lecture

  • Links between artworks and the foodways of their period
  • Careful analysis of visual evidence, from still lifes to banquet scenes
  • Historical context grounded in primary sources and firsthand experience abroad
  • Approachable presentation suited to specialists and curious newcomers alike
Who are these lectures intended for?
Anyone drawn to art history, food history, or early modern European culture, including students, scholars, museums, and community groups.
Is it possible to combine the two subjects?
Yes. Talks may center on art, on culinary history, or on where the two overlap, shaped by the audience's interests.
How can I inquire about a lecture?
Reach out through the site's contact options with details about your audience, setting, and preferred topic, and arrangements can be discussed directly.

Whether the focus is a Renaissance still life or the markets and kitchens behind it, each talk is built around close attention to visual evidence and the historical record. Audiences leave with a clearer sense of how art and food shaped one another in early modern Italy and beyond.