Coffee in art: artistic representations of a popular drink

Coffee intrigues, coffee inspires, and has done so for many centuries: since coffee became a common drink in the 19th century rather than one reserved for the upper bourgeoisie, it has been the subject of many artistic works, especially in painting.

Paintings inspired by the famous energizing drink

In Édouard Manet's famous painting titled "Lunch in the Studio," painted in the 19th century, there is a still life featuring a cup of coffee among oyster shells and lemon zest. A maid was also painted in this work, holding a coffee pot. The Italian painter Silvestro Lega also used the image of coffee in a canvas titled "Un dopo pranzo": once again, it shows cups of coffee set on a table and a governess holding a coffee pot, which, we can guess, contains coffee. Pierre Auguste Renoir also added a cup of coffee to his painting "The End of the Lunch." These famous paintings are the main witnesses to coffee's popularity at the time. This period marked the beginning of caffeine's worldwide popularity across all social classes. Coffee is no longer reserved for an elite, but for all social circles. Today, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.

"Un dopo pranzo", Oil on canvas by Silvestro Lega

The most popular coffee exhibitions (Café-in, Paris Coffee Show)

To learn about the origins of coffee as well as its history, composition, and production, exhibitions are organized around it in museums in France and around the world. This is the case with the Café-in exhibition at the Mucem in Marseille. This exhibition aims to introduce the history of coffee as well as its production techniques and methods, so that this drink, despite being so popular, will have no secrets left for anyone. Indeed, as Jean-Michel Dijan, the exhibition's general curator, points out, coffee is usually not intended to be an artistic object, like famous paintings, but rather an object of tasting or socializing. By trying to provide information about what coffee really is, and why it is so popular today after so many years of cultivation and exportation, it will help us know a little more about it.

The Café-in exhibition offers an exploration of the myths surrounding coffee, the drink's scientific and economic aspects, and the social practice that stems from this popular beverage.

Other exhibitions present coffee from every angle, as is also the case with the exhibition "The Rise of Exotic Drinks in the 18th Century": however, this exhibition is not focused solely on coffee, but also on tea and cocoa.

Another popular exhibition: the Paris Coffee Show, the first coffee event in France. This exhibition takes place at the Parc Floral de Paris and brings together the main players in coffee production. The Paris Coffee Show exhibition features no fewer than 1050 roasters, offering tastings of the best coffees in the world. This exhibition was organized to offer an introduction to the world of coffee and its aromas: open to everyone, it combines fun activities and colorful tastings.

Painting with... coffee grounds!

Combining business with pleasure is the surprising challenge that some people have chosen to take on by replacing paint with coffee grounds. An eco-friendly, natural solution that gives all your drawings lovely sepia tones! We invite you to watch this short tutorial video that shows you how to paint with coffee grounds.

Coffee has many taste, healing, and health benefits, but that is not all: it is an object used in art or in exhibitions, because its exotic origins and production secrets are sometimes unknown to everyone.