# Sweet Edible Masterpieces ‘Rodin of Chocolate' Crafts Treats Too Beautiful to Eat By Katie Cordrey | Published 2009-01-25 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/astonishing-chocolate-sculptures-rodin-of-chocolate-crafts-sweet-treats-val References: [artisanconfection](http://www.artisanconfection.com/stores/josephschmidt/) Jerusalem-born master chocolatier Joseph Schmidt is of Viennese descent and creates magnificent figures and forms that are full of life and delight. This talent is especially interesting because his artistic medium is chocolate. Schmidt immigrated to the United States in his early 20’s and eventually opened a small shop in San Francisco and remains in the Castro district of the city. He has been called the “Rodin of Chocolate” because of his skill. Schmidt has also won a number of prestigious awards for his work. The work has been displayed in [culinary exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-chocolate-story) as well as places like the [American Crafts Museum](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wood-for-the-trees) in New York. Though some of the pieces shown in the gallery above are not for sale, you can order up other beautiful [Joseph Schmidt chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nyc-flagship-store) online. You can also view a [video](http://www.artisanconfection.com/stores/josephschmidt/about/chocolate_art.html) showing how he makes basic chocolate shapes. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 7% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Edible Art:** The trend of incorporating artistic elements into food items, creating visually stunning edible masterpieces to appeal to consumers' aesthetics. - **Artisanal Chocolate:** The trend of small-batch, high-quality chocolate production, catering to consumers who value premium, often hand-crafted, chocolate. - **Online Food Retailers:** The trend of increasing online sales of high-quality food items, allowing artisanal and artistic chocolatiers to reach wider audiences. ### Who This Affects Most - **Chocolate Manufacturing:** Innovative chocolate-making processes and techniques can help manufacturers create unique and creative products to meet the growing demand for visually appealing and artisanal chocolate. - **Food and Beverage Retail:** Retail stores and platforms that specialize in high-end artisanal food and beverage items, which promote and feature exquisite hand-crafted chocolate can cater to consumers who value premium quality artisanal products. - **E-commerce:** Companies can embrace online food retail and leverage the convenience factor for the customers, enabling artisanal chocolatiers to distribute their products globally and at a larger scale. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Topographical Chocolate Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/made-in-california-bar.md) - [Fine Art-Covered Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/m-cacao-artbars.md) - [Artist-Inspired Chocolate Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beatrice-wood.md) - [Screen-Printed Chocolate Tiled Rooms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chocolate-room-1.md) - [Parisian Landmark Chocolate Replicas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/notre-dame-cathedral.md) - [Artist Valentine’s Day Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flower-valentines-chocolate.md) - [Artisan Easter Egg Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/loeuf-gourmand.md) - [Gourmet Chocolate Tasting Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gourmet-chocolate.md) - [Luxe Multidimensional Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/abu-dhabi-chocolate.md)