Mealtime Collection (#63)

The Last Supper, stained glass, Chartres Cathedral, France, 1205-1215. Detail from the Passion Window

Dinner at the Hospice of Beaune, France, late 19th / early 20th century. Artist: Claude Joseph Bail
Dinner at the Hospice of Beaune, France, late 19th/early 20th century. From a private collection

Ha, Ha! You Must Learn to Love Me, 1873. Cartoon from Punch London 1873, telling the British public that they must learn to love canned meat from Australia

Breakfast, early 17th century. Artist: Bartolomeo Manfredi
Breakfast, early 17th century. Found in the collection of the State Art Museum, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Fidgety Joe, 1903. Artist: Edward Linley Sambourne
Fidgety Joe, 1903. The troubles of coalition government. Two parents representing the Duke of Devonshire and Arthur Balfour (centre)

The Flower of the Flock, c1890. An artisan country family at the tea table showing loving, hopeless concern for a child who has not long to live. From The Girls Own Paper. (London, c1890)

Children waiting for soup at dinner time, London Board School, Denmark Terrace, Islington, 1889. From The Graphic London 7 December 1889

A Plantagenet king of England dining. The king depicted is possibly Henry II, who reigned from 1154-1189. Chromolithograph from medieval manuscript

Untitled, c1864-1900. Artist: Mihaly Munkacsy
Untitled, c1864-1900

English family taking a meal in the station buffet at Boulogne, France, 1886. A poodle begs the children for food

Sauce for the Gander, 1871. Artist: Joseph Swain
Sauce for the Gander, 1871. A working man sits down to his evening meal. His wife, however, is still working. This cartoon relates to the strike of engineers at Newcastle

Fire and Smoke, 1871. Artist: Joseph Swain
Fire and Smoke, 1871. A Mephistophelean French communist points the way with his petrol bomb as he urges the British workman to fight with him in the cause

Hot Pies!, 1879. Artist: Joseph Swain
Hot Pies!, 1879. A group of politicians are devouring pies representing countries. Lord Lytton, the viceroy of India, dressed as a waiter, brings another pie, to which Disraeli ( Master Benjamin )

Native African Matabele family at mealtime. Date: circa 1930

Five men sharing a meal, China Date: circa 1907

Four men share a meal, China
Four (rather scholarly in appearance) men sharing a meal, China Date: circa 1907

A dinner party, China - five men around a rather small octagonal table eating bowls of rice. Date: circa 1908

Chinese family eating with chopsticks. 19th century

Mother and children on a jigsaw puzzle
Mother and children at a table on a jigsaw puzzle -- the pieces are square shaped. Date: circa 1890s

A Mere Matter of Form by Heath Robinson, WW1 cartoon
Distressing mistake of the cook recently released from a munition factory. A familys cook absent-mindedly shapes the pudding for that day into a shell, much to the shock and panic of her employers

After a meal in a British trench 1915
A peaceful pipe before another spell of duty. 1915

Spanish family sitting at the table at mealtime. 1950s-1960s

Gong Soups advertisement, WW1
Advertisement for Gong soups, the instant packet soup variety of choice during the First World War, both on the home front and in the trenches

British soldier cooks dinner on a brazier in trench
Somewhere in France, a British soldier cooks his dinner on a brazier in the trenches while his comrades keep a look out. Date: 1915

Mealtime in British reserve trench, Western Front, WW1
Mealtime in a British reserve trench on the Western Front during World War One. Date: circa 1916

Monastery Refectory
A Benedictine monk from the monastery of Lerin, France, arranging the tables for mealtime in the refectory. Date: early 1930s

The Grace, 1740 (oil on canvas) (see also 204988)
XIR68348 The Grace, 1740 (oil on canvas) (see also 204988) by Chardin, Jean-Baptiste Simeon (1699-1779); 49.5x38.5 cm; Louvre, Paris

Cardinal Wolsey entertaining the French ambassadors in Hampton Court Palace
KW469525 Cardinal Wolsey entertaining the French ambassadors in Hampton Court Palace, from History of Hampton Court Palace in Tudor Times by Ernest Law

The Grace, 1740 (oil on canvas) (see also 68348)
XIR204988 The Grace, 1740 (oil on canvas) (see also 68348) by Chardin, Jean-Baptiste Simeon (1699-1779); 49.5x41 cm; Louvre, Paris

The Infirmary of the Sisters of Charity during a visit of Anne of Austria (1601-66) 1635
XIR159214 The Infirmary of the Sisters of Charity during a visit of Anne of Austria (1601-66) 1635 (engraving) (see also 208680) by Bosse, Abraham (1602-76); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

Mother trying to feed unwilling baby (9-12 months), (B&W)

Mother trying to make daughter (4-5) finish food at table, (B&W)

Picture No. 11092119
Cat British Shorthair 5 month old kitten Date:

Picture No. 11092118
Cat British Shorthair 5 month old kitten Date:

Advertisement for Ross Foods -- family of three at the table (modelled by D Groves, Andrew Downie and M Baldock). 1959

Japan - Japanese Women pose for a photograph with babies
Japan - Japanese Women pose for a photograph with their babies Date: circa 1903

Japan - Women (and a child) share tea and food Date: circa 1906

Married for Love
Amusing American postcard entitled Married for Love, showing a rowing couple, illustrating anything but a partnership with love at the cornerstone! Date: circa 1910s

Bouzigues Languedoc. Oyster on half shell with lemon. France. Europe

Traditional Albanian dish called Fergese, made with offal intestines in tomato sauce. Berat lower town. Albania, Balkan, Europe

A traditional black earthenware pot called cereme used for cooking meat UNK Tradita traditional restaurant, Shkodra. Albania, Balkan, Europe

Gravesend Hospital in Kent. Nurses at meal time. 1939

Picture No. 10984805
Dog - Golden Retriever puppies feeding Date:

Picture No. 10984806
Dog - Golden Retriever puppy feeding Date:

Picture No. 10984804
Dog - Golden Retriever puppies feeding Date:

Mealtime on board a Short Sunderland

Dinner time at the lenin agricultural commune, 1921

A pizza decorated with an edible face

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"Mealtime: A Journey Through Art, History, and Culture" Step into the world as we explore various artworks and historical moments that depict this universal human experience. From heartwarming family gatherings to extravagant feasts, these captivating images reveal the significance of sharing a meal together. In Pieter Bruegel the Elder's masterpiece "The Harvesters, " we witness a scene from rural life where hardworking peasants take a break to enjoy their midday meal. The horse grazing nearby becomes one of the family, reminding us that even our animal companions can be part of our mealtimes. Moving forward in time, Harold Harvey's painting "The Tea Table" transports us to an elegant Victorian setting. With delicate china cups and dainty treats laid out on the table, it captures the refined ritual of afternoon tea – a cherished tradition still enjoyed today. Humor takes center stage in Punch cartoon's engraving titled "A Warning - Wagners Ring Cycle. " As characters indulge in food during intermission at an opera performance, it playfully reminds us not to let our appetite distract from cultural experiences. Exploring diversity in dining experiences, we encounter a colored photograph capturing a black man enjoying a large watermelon. This image prompts reflection on how food has been used both as sustenance and as symbols laden with racial stereotypes throughout history. Delving into ancient Rome's eccentricities, an engraving portrays Emperor Caligula entertaining his favorite horse Incitatus at supper. This bizarre depiction highlights how power can sometimes lead to peculiar indulgences beyond imagination. Shifting gears towards sporting events brings us to "The Wappenshaw: A Shooting Match. " Oil on paper showcases Scottish soldiers gathering for target practice before sitting down together for hearty meals – camaraderie forged through shared activities and nourishment alike. In William Heath Robinson's whimsical illustration "Good Egg, " breakfast becomes an imaginative adventure filled with contraptions and inventions.