Establishing a link between art and cuisine, this tour proposes a visit to the collection that focuses on food not only as a source of sustenance but also as a manifestation of wealth, a social ritual and a convivial pleasure that brings all the senses into play.

The tour begins with the work by Kessel which depicts the Gastronomy confluence of the Paseo del Prado and the Carrera de San Jerónimo, where the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum now stands, as it did during the reign of Charles II. The painting depicts water carriers and a churrera. The exhibition goes on to propose the contemplation of works in which food, nourishment, taste and eating take on a special role. Religious themes such as the Last Supper, Adam and Eve and Esau selling his first-born daughter are particularly relevant. To these should be added allegorical or mythological depictions that allude to the sense of taste or genre paintings in the Dutch and French tradition. In these works, food occupies a prominent place and contributes a symbolic charge to the work. The gastronomic theme reached the second half of the 20th century with Estes’s hyperrealist depiction of the New York fast-food chain Nedik’s.

In order to take part in these special tours  you only need to purchase your general admission ticket at our ticket office or via our website and pay an additional fee of €8,10.