Any survey of food as art has to feature Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the 16th-century Italian painter whose portraits are montages of food. There is a take-off on one, by the photographer Klaus Enrique, on the cover of this lovely volume, “A Feast for the Eyes.” The book is an alphabetical compendium, with entries showing and explaining fanciful Easter eggs, mosaics made from seeds and rice, carved radishes, butter sculptures, insanely elaborate lattes and intricate Japanese confections. The introduction gives historical background from 60,000-year-old engraved ostrich shells to Instagram.
“A Feast for the Eyes: Edible Art From Apples to Zucchini” by Carolyn Tillie (Reaktion Books, $19.95).
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