Taco Art: Gauguin or Cezanne?

The artists who paint still lifes of tacos and other dishes on the exterior walls of restaurants and food trucks never cease to amaze me. I suspect there are few talented art students putting themselves through school this way.

Their artworks serve the extremely utilitarian purpose of advertising the variety of choices on the establishment’s menu: a useful service for those who can read English and an vital one for those who can’t. Sometimes their efforts are cartoonish, sometimes merely commercial, but quite often they create images that belong in the realm of folk art.

I posted this photo on Twitter with the headline: “If Gauguin painted tacos.” My wife, who has an MFA in Art, suggested: “It looks more like a Cezanne.” What do you think?

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