Artists palate: Dexter Dalwood

Painter Dexter Dalwood explores the domestic details of historic figures. His works include imaginings of the insides of OJ Simpson's white Bronco, Mao's study and Kurt Cobain's 'greenhouse'. His pieces also reference artists such as Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon and Ed Ruscha, so the fact that his recipe comes from Jean Renoir's memoir is no surprise. Renoir's mother, Aline Charigot, made this chicken stew for her boy, the famous film-maker, and his father, the famous impressionist.
The exerpt below is taken from Jean Renoir's biography, Renoir, My Father (New York Review Books Classics), in which he recalls that his mother considered the dish 'one of her greatest triumphs'.
'To prepare it she cut the chicken up in pieces, which she browned in a heavy casserole with a little olive oil. As soon as the pieces were ready, she put them aside on a warm plate. The oil was then thrown away, and the chicken put back in the casserole with just a dab of butter. Next she added finely chopped onions, two peeled medium-size tomatoes, some sprigs of parsley and thyme, a bay leaf, a clove of garlic, salt and pepper, and a very little hot water. The mixture was stirred from time to time to avoid burning and allowed to simmer over a slow fire. A few mushrooms were thrown in half an hour before serving; Greek, Italian, or Provençal black olives; and the chicken-liver. At the last moment a little glass of brandy was added, and the lid of the casserole left off to let the fumes evaporate. When serving, she sprinkled chopped parsley and garlic over the dish.'
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms
-
Dine within a rationalist design gem at the newly opened Cucina Triennale
Cucina Triennale is the latest space to open at Triennale Milano, a restaurant and a café by Luca Cipelletti and Unifor, inspired by the building's 1930s design
-
The collections you might have missed this S/S 2026 menswear season
Between the headliners in Paris, Milan and Florence, a few off-schedule displays are deserving of honourable mention – from Martine Rose’s sexually-charged portrait of Kensington Market to Sander Lak’s appointment-only namesake debut
-
Meet artist Michael McGregor, using hotel stationery as his canvas
Michael McGregor unveils an exclusive postcard set made with notepads from The Luxury Collection properties in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Savannah