Art à la Mode for Pi Day

Pi Day! Pie Day!
Showcase your talent and win big in Artists Network prestigious art competitions! Discover competitions in a variety of media and enter for your chance to win cash prizes, publication in leading art magazines, global exposure, and rewards for your hard work. Plus, gain valuable feedback from renowned jurors. Let your passion shine through - enter an art competition today!

Dishing Up Pie Paintings

March 14 is internationally celebrated as Pi Day because the date, 3.14, coincides with the mathematical constant and Greek letter π. But the more mouthwatering riff on today’s festivities is the celebration of Pie Day.

If math and food can come together, why not add art to the mix, too? Here are several artful depictions of pie that are a sweet treat to inspire you in the studio and perhaps when you next sit down to a well-deserved dessert! Enjoy!

Scrumptious Still Life

Lemon Meringue by Mary Ellen Johnson, oil on panel
Lemon Meringue by Mary Ellen Johnson, oil on panel

Mary Ellen Johnson’s Lemon Meringue is only one example from a body of work that can best be described as yum. A precision realist, Johnson turns to food because, “It evokes nostalgia, and an intrinsic yearning for gratification. The food communicates a visual language that crosses the barriers of different cultures, for food is a universal experience.” Her work is featured in “Plate to Paint.”

Don’t Forget the Savory

Still Life with Turkey Pie by Pieter Claesz, 1627
Still Life with Turkey Pie by Pieter Claesz, 1627

All the sweet treats can almost make one forget that art pies come in savory too. Flemish artist Pieter Claesz’s depiction of a turkey pie topped with the bird’s head and feathered body isn’t necessarily appealing by today’s foodie standards, but just remember that this painting isn’t about the pies themselves as much as the luxuries baked into them and that appear elsewhere on the table.

In this sumptuous food feast, highly sought-after goods from Asia are what are really on the menu, from the porcelain dish to the nautilus shell to the cinnamon, cloves and ginger you can see baked into the pie painted in the middleground.

Run, Pie, Run

Hobo Stealing Pie by Norman Rockwell, 1928
Hobo Stealing Pie by Norman Rockwell, 1928

Norman Rockwell’s iconic (though historically problematic) depictions of Americana definitely include a lot of pie. There is pie for Thanksgiving, pie eaten at the diner counter, prayers before pie, making money from pie and more. But an all-time favorite has to be this pie on the go, showing a ne’er-do-well skedaddling with pie in hand and dog on behind.

Pie Charts

28 van Gogh paintings visualized as pie charts by Arthur Buxton
28 van Gogh paintings visualized as pie charts by Arthur Buxton

British artist Arthur Buxton has inadverently taken the pi-pie riff further by adding in pie charts, specifically pie charts that analyze the color schemes of Post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh.

He told BoingBoing: “As far as I know, I’ve come up with a novel way of looking at colour schemes. The pie charts are designed to be visually pleasing but also function as a colour trend visualization tool. They represent famous paintings, portraying the five most prominent colours in each as a percentage.”

Can you tell which pie chart coincides with which van Gogh painting?

Pies, Pies, Pies

For Pi Day: Pies, Pies, Pies by Wayne Thiebaud, 1961
Pies, Pies, Pies by Wayne Thiebaud, 1961

Wayne Thiebaud might be best termed as the head chef of pie painting though he is a Pop Art icon, too. He has been creating still lifes of slices of cake and pie — and more — for decades. When the work debuted, Thiebaud was hailed alongside Warhol, Rosenquist and Lichtenstein though his painterly methods set him apart from that trio.

His food art isn’t sumptuous or sensual despite the luscious impasto brushwork he employs. The appeal of the works is that they seem self-contained and wholesome. They evoke the nostalgia of the 1950s diner counter and their simple, repetitive, graphic qualities make them as accessible and appealing as the comfort foods they depict.

Food Fight Aftermath

Crème Pie by Lisa Yuskavage, 2007
Crème Pie by Lisa Yuskavage, 2007

Is it the end of a kitchen food fight? A pie-eating champion’s proudest moment? Or a baking attempt gone wrong? The questions provoked by Lisa Yuskavage’s Crème Pie play out on several levels from silly to absurd to sexually heightened.

As we examine the female figure with a whipped cream face and pie crusts on her blouse, there’s no clear answer. So the answer is clear: wonder endlessly.

Pie As It Is Meant To Be

Children Eating a Pie by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1670-75
Children Eating a Pie by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1670-75

There aren’t many painted depictions of pie as it should be, as in being consumed. But there was one: Children Eating a Pie by Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo from the 1670s. The work shows two boys sharing a pie, no forks necessary, as they grab handfuls and pop them directly in their mouth.

Now Learn How to Paint Food with Gusto!

Serving up delicious depictions of art doesn’t stop here. Indulge your artistic palette with even more inspiration from this favorite issue of Artists Magazine.

The issue includes instruction and tips on how to “Plate to Paint,” with a quartet of artists who make the most of edible art subjects. Still life never looked so mouthwatering. Enjoy!

Related Articles

Join the Conversation!

Become a member today!

Choose an option below to join now.

$14.99/month

Join Now

 

Free Gift Included

$99.99/year

Join Now

 

  • Stream over 850 videos anytime, anywhere.
  • Enjoy exclusive events with live discussions from today’s top artists!
  • Get access to the Artists Magazine archives and save 30% on additional magazines.

View All Benefits

*Membership cannot be purchased with Gift Cards.