Spanish Culture and Food get together in the National Gallery of Art in Washington
What best than mixing Art and Food?
Garden Café España
The National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C. is now (and until the 23rd of August) featuring the exhibition “Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life” showcasing over 30 paintings of this great Spanish artist. Some of his great works include “The Four Seasons” which depict cabinets with every spices produced by the Spanish climate, and which work was commissioned in 1771 by the Prince of Asturias, later King Charles IV. Also on display are period objects—including an 18th-century cork wine cooler, Alcorcón pottery, a lusterware honey pot, and a copper chocolate pot—like those represented in Meléndez’s beautiful still lifes. Additionally, another exhibition, “The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain” is also taking place from the 28th of June to the 1st of November.
To mark the events, the west wing coffee shop in the National Gallery, the Garden Café has been renamed as Garden Café España and will offer an entire Spanish menu created by the well known US-based Spanish Chef and celebrity José Andrés. The dishes in the menu are inspired in the ingredients depicted in Meléndez’s paintings. For those of you that won’t be able to visit the Café, at least you can take a peak at the Menu and some of the good Spanish Recipes inspired by the Exhibition:
Garden Cafe España Recipes (PDF)