The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda) 1772

Luis Meléndez created this painting, "The Afternoon Meal," in the 18th century using oil paints on canvas. The artist has carefully rendered the various textures and surfaces in this still life – the rough skin of the melon, the glisten of the grapes, the matte finish of the pottery. This wasn't just about showing off his technical skills. Meléndez was working in a Spain that was increasingly tied into global trade networks, and paintings like these showcased the abundance that was available, at least to some. Note how the containers are given as much attention as the food itself: the woven baskets, the ceramic pots, the metal lids. The artist painstakingly replicated the appearance of locally sourced and imported goods, turning ordinary objects into treasured items. He has immortalized the memory of these goods, elevating their status beyond functional objects. Meléndez was very attuned to the social lives of materials. By thinking about the labor that went into each of them, we can appreciate that these paintings were not simply a celebration of Spanish produce, but a glimpse into a complex, interconnected world.