Grand Dessert - The history of dessert
A mouth-watering exhibition
Puddings, ice cream and cakes, have been a popular, sweet ending to a dinner for centuries. The word dessert is derived from the French verb desservir, meaning 'to clear the table'. It was therefore served after the dinner table had been cleared. Janny van der Heijden, author and TV personality, is guest curator of the exhibition Grand Dessert - The History of Dessert.
The pleasure of dessert takes centre stage and is highlighted with cookbooks, baking moulds, tableware and much more. Whether it's a simple custard slip or a royal dessert buffet, this exhibition makes your mouth water.
The exhibition focuses on the pleasure of dessert in Europe from 1600 to the present. The exhibition will feature hundreds of objects, both from the Art Museum's own collection and on loan from various Dutch museums, castles and country estates and various private individuals. It ranges from baking tins to cookbooks, from tableware to cutlery, from ice cream molds to menus, and much more.
The exhibition fits within a series of exhibitions in this museum about food culture. Grand Dessert is a sequel to Nederland Dineert – four centuries of food culture (2015/2016). That exhibition was mainly about serving dishes, while the new exhibition on desserts focuses on both the making and serving process. With surprising, sometimes unknown stories. Because who knows, for example, that confectionery is a precursor to porcelain?
