1637
oil
panel
From the collection of Mauritshuis
The Five Senses: Smell is a 1637 oil by Jan Miense Molenaer, a Dutch Golden Age work, held at Mauritshuis.
This painting depicts a woman sitting at a table, surrounded by various objects that evoke the sense of smell. She is dressed in a white shirt and a blue skirt, with a red apron tied around her waist. The woman is holding a cloth to her nose, as if she is smelling something. The table in front of her is cluttered with items such as a pipe, a bowl, and a small box. The background of the painting is dark, which helps to focus attention on the woman and the objects around her. The use of chiaroscuro in this painting creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye to the woman and the objects on the table.
Jan Miense Molenaer (1610 – buried 19 September 1668) was a Dutch Golden Age genre painter whose style was a precursor to Jan Steen's work during Dutch Golden Age painting.
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