King in Potato Fields
by Robert Warthmuller

The potato arrived in Europe at the end of the 16th century, aboard Spanish treasure ships. It was grown without fanfare in Spain, carried to Italy and then across the Alps to Northern Europe by monks. Recognized by the Emperor of Germany as a valuable and inexpensive food, the potato's cultivation was encouraged by the king and his advisers.

In this painting by Robert Warthmuller, 1896, the king is welcomed to the potato fields by some farmers.