Touch, from the Five Senses 1596

Cornelis Drebbel's "Touch, from the Five Senses" is a 1596 engraving that depicts the personified sense of Touch as a woman, partly nude, standing on a rocky shore. She stretches out her hand and looks upward, seemingly reaching for something, while her other hand holds onto a flowing drapery. The presence of a snake coiling around her leg, a traditional symbol of Touch, is also present in the composition. Drebbel, known for his scientific interests and work in optics, skillfully uses light and shadow to create a sense of depth and drama in the print. The engraving is part of a series of works dedicated to the five senses. This artwork can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.