Answer:
I believe these works of art are to be considered to have great significance. I would assume that the artists that created these works was trying to express the importance and seriousness of the preparation and making of a meal. Although we are not able to see weather the women in the painting are preparing a meal for themselves or others, the artist captures the dedication through the facial expressions and precision in the hand positioning. These paintings could be important to whom they represent. These paintings could be a symbol to the women (or men but I would assume women because there are only women in the paintings) who prepare meals for themselves or others and all the work they seem to encounter when they are preparing a dish. These paintings could also be a symbol to the effort people put into creating food.
I do not believe these paintings should be modified in any way. They each tell their own unique story from the facial expressions the characters wear, to the objects they are catering to, to the elaborate backgrounds.
I hope this helps! :D
Also, sorry for the long answer, I like to talk about the detail