Symbolism of Asparagus in Visual Art

Asparagus has long held the stigma of being associated with erotic overtones.

Whether it is for its medicinal purposes, its aphrodisiac status or its phallic resemblance to sexual organs, asparagus has been coupled with visual art mediums for centuries.  

Old beliefs and myths, that still exist today, will have you believe that asparagus has the ability to increase and stimulate feelings of love and passion. Nicholas Culpepper, a 17^th Century herbalist agreed and wrote that asparagus “stirs up lust in man and woman”. Of course let’s not discount the French word for asparagus which is asperge; asperge is a slang word for penis! Get the phallic resemblance now?

Considered one of the healthiest of vegetables, asparagus is high in fibre and potassium and rich in vitamin E. All these nutrients aid to boost histamine production. So why is this important? Increased histamine production is necessary to increase the ability for both men and women to reach orgasm.

So why is asparagus widely used in visual art forms then?

Dutch 17^th Century Still Life paintings were found to commonly use asparagus. Highly valued at this time as a luxury item, asparagus represented and symbolized among other things prosperity.

In August 2012 Newsweek published a feature on "101 Best Places to Eat in the World" as its cover story. The suggestive image is of two pieces of asparagus dangling provocatively over the open red lips of female model. Whilst the image raised much discussion, not only for the fact that the image had been previously used several years before by Newsweek, the image raised questions again of sexism against females.

Needless to say then, asparagus is considered an all round love food, be its powers of erotic stimulation or its general symbolic representation.

The Perfumed Garden, a 15^th Century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature, translated by Sir Richard Burton, presents the following analogy to finish off with:

"He who boils asparagus, and then fries them in fat, and then pours upon them the yolks of eggs with pounded condiments, and eats every day of this dish, will grow very strong for coitus, and find in it a stimulant for his amorous desires".