Artwork
A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of "Taste")
A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of "Taste") is an oil painting by Bernhard Keil. It dates from 1653 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The allegorical title underscores the painting’s intent to personify taste through symbolic narrative rather than literal depiction.
The painting presents a young boy holding a dog, a visual allegory embodying the sense of taste. The dog, traditionally a symbol of fidelity and companionship, here serves as an emblem of gustatory pleasure, linking the sensory experience of taste to youthful curiosity. Rendered in oil on canvas in 1653, the work measures 63.5 cm in height by 47.5 cm in width and resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The juxtaposition of the child and his canine companion functions as a metaphorical representation of taste as both a refined and instinctual sense, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay between innocence and sensual awareness. The allegorical title underscores the painting’s intent to personify taste through symbolic narrative rather than literal depiction.
Technique & Style
Bernhard Keil executed A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of "Taste") in 1653 using oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 63.5 cm in height and 47.5 cm in width. As an allegorical painting, the composition depicts a boy accompanied by a dog to represent the sense of taste. The piece is currently held by the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of "Taste") was painted by Bernhard Keil in 1653, executed in oil on canvas as an allegorical work. The painting is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, which is also its current location. No information is available in the provided sources regarding an earlier provenance chain, prior ownership, or the circumstances of its commission.
The work measures 63.5 cm in height by 47.5 cm in width.
Bernhard Keil's A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of "Taste") is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The painting, created in 1653, is executed in oil on canvas and measures 63.5 cm in height by 47.5 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain a specific inventory or accession number for the work, nor do they list any exhibition history.
Overview
Bernhard Keil’s oil painting A Boy with a Dog (Allegory of “Taste”) was executed in 1653. The work presents a young boy seated at a table, cradling a black dog with white paws, while a modest spread of food lies on a white‑covered surface. The composition is set against a dark interior that hints at a distant landscape, and the piece is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Artist & collection
