Question

Dutch painters in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries often showed

tables filled with large wheels of cheese or carved shards of butter. Some
art historians, noting that dairy products were a major component of the
Dutch diet, interpret these depictions as reflections of everyday Dutch
eating habits. However, a group of researchers recently reviewed hundreds
of food-related paintings and found that lemons-which could only be
acquired in the Netherlands at great cost, since they had to be imported
from warmer climates-feature in Dutch paintings of the period more than
three times as frequently as dairy products do, thereby casting doubt on
the idea that
Which choice most logically completes the text?

Answer 1

Dutch still life paintings depicted both local and exotic commodities, reflecting the mercantile success of the Netherlands rather than just everyday dietary habits. The frequent inclusion of expensive imported lemons suggests illustrations of wealth and trade, not just daily consumption.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dutch paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries frequently depicted elements of daily life, including food items that were both locally sourced and imported. The presence of dairy products in these still lifes has often been interpreted as a reflection of the Dutch diet at the time. However, the frequent depiction of lemons, a costly and imported item, in the paintings more than three times as often as dairy products has led to a reevaluation of these interpretations.

It suggests that the still lifes were not merely a reflection of daily consumption but also a display of wealth and the diverse range of goods available in the Netherlands due to its vast trade networks. These include the products brought by the Dutch East India Company such as spices and porcelain. The still life genre itself evolved to showcase a variety of textures and materials, emphasizing the Dutch ability to indulge in exotic products as a symbol of their mercantile success.