De Smaak: pijprokende man 1679 - 1717

This print of a pipe-smoking man was made by Abraham de Blois in the Dutch Republic at the beginning of the 18th century. It is part of a series called ‘The Senses’. Here, de Blois pictures the sense of taste. This image invites us to consider the social life of the tavern. It was here that the Dutch working man could indulge in the sensations of tobacco and alcohol. We can see this was a disreputable place from the ramshackle building behind him. The door is falling off its hinges and the window is boarded up. The man himself is casually slouched on a bench, oblivious to the state of things, with his jug of ale at his feet. Studying this image, we can start to understand how new consumer goods like tobacco shaped the everyday lives of ordinary people in the Dutch Republic. We can learn more by reading period documents like household inventories, traveler’s accounts, and even moralizing pamphlets warning against the dangers of drink.