A Truly Unique Gift, A Treasure

Edible chocolate paintings? Edible yes, but meant to be consumed by the eye, not the stomach. Since 1989, Jean Zaun, formerly Jean Wertz has been creating one-of-a-kind hand-crafted paintings that define a whole new art form. They are composed entirely of white and semi-sweet Wilbur chocolate, food color, edible gold sugars, and confectionary glaze. Even the frames are made by casting dark or milk chocolate.

These amazing chocolate paintings are works of art in their own right, and are to be kept and cherished as a keepsake-it's just that the medium used to create them happens to be chocolate.

How long will they last? If properly stored, in a non-fluctuating temperature of 68 degrees or less and not exposed to sunlight, heat, hungry dogs, or humans, it should last many years. I have one regular client that has had her "Mona Lisa " for 9 years.

How do I display? Use a small table-top easel and display in your china or curio cabinet. Pull them out to display as an unusual centerpiece for your dinner parties, or impress a valuable client.

One thing is for sure no one as seen (or smelled) a work of art like this before. These lovely paintings have truly captivated the public wherever they are displayed. So stunning are Jean's chocolate paintings that the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio commissioned 37 of Jean's works in chocolate to enhance their Van Gogh "Fields" exhibit in 2002-2003.

The chocolate paintings created by Jean were mostly Van Gogh paintings that were in the exhibit, but also commissioned were chocolate versions of paintings in their permanent collection, such as Piero de Cosimo's "Adoration of the Child ", and Thomas Cole's "The Architect's Dream ". The paintings were quite the sensation, selling anywhere from $200.00 to $1400.00 in their museum stores. According to the website "Geschichten " at www.sweetsculptures.at , Chef Gary Petzl claims that there are only three chocolate artists in the world: himself, Sid Chidiac from Australia, and Jean Wertz of Lebanon, PA, USA.

Another European website which includes the work of Jean Wertz: www.chocolatecheese.de

* * * Chocolate art exhibits and slide presentations available. * * *

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