Art Imitating Life

Published on March 24, 2010

Elissa Lerner: Even Dan Brown missed these clues. A recent study conducted by a Cornell professor and his Presbyterian minister brother of 52 paintings of the Last Supper made over the past 1,000 years offers artistic evidence of humanity’s increase in food consumption. They discovered that portrayed bread sizes have increased by 23%, plates themselves have grown by […]

Elissa Lerner: Even Dan Brown missed these clues. A recent study conducted by a Cornell professor and his Presbyterian minister brother of 52 paintings of the Last Supper made over the past 1,000 years offers artistic evidence of humanity’s increase in food consumption. They discovered that portrayed bread sizes have increased by 23%, plates themselves have grown by 66%, and the main meal shown on the table has expanded by 69%. Maybe Michelle Obama can commission a new rendition of the famous table featuring healthy portions to kick start her “Let’s Move” anti-childhood obesity campaign.

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