Medieval Tablescapes, Dining, and the Visual Culture of Food, Session at 23rd International Medieval Congress, Leeds, July 4–7, 2016

In connection with the broad theme of Leeds, “Food, Feast & Famine,” the Student Committee of the International Center for Medieval Art (ICMA) seeks proposals for 15-20 minute papers that examine the roles of food, dining, and production in the visual culture of all periods and geographies of the Middle Ages. Food is a thread that links together religious and secular, elites and peasants, and is a theme that welcomes papers on the humblest as well as the most lavish objects and buildings.

Possible topics include but are not limited to: depictions of food, feasting, or food preparation in sculpture, manuscripts, or other media; the Eucharist as food; representations of food and hospitality for travellers or pilgrims; the automatons, textiles, metalworks, and other objects that were used in feast or banquet settings; the architecture of feasting or food-preparation spaces; the depiction of patron saints of food-producing guilds (e.g. winemakers), and even representations of abstinence from food.

Kress travel grants might be available for presenters to supplement the cost of travel.

The Student Committee of the International Center of Medieval Art involves and advocates for all members with student status. As a committee that addresses the concerns of students, we see this session as a forum for discussion and informal mentorship within our field.

Organizer
Meg Bernstein, U.C.L.A.

Sponsor
International Center of Medieval Art Student Committee