Het zintuig Reuk c. 1670 - 1770

"Het zintuig Reuk" (The Sense of Smell), an anonymous etching from the 17th or 18th century, depicts a group of people gathered around a woman who holds her nose and appears to be overwhelmed by a strong smell. Two other figures, likely attempting to help her, hold a cloth over their noses. The scene is filled with humorous detail, including a pair of misplaced slippers and a window view revealing a simple outdoor landscape. This etching is a prime example of Dutch genre painting, a style that focused on everyday life and its humorous and often satirical aspects. It was created using a process known as etching, in which a design is etched onto a metal plate, creating a print for multiple copies. The etching is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, a prominent repository of Dutch art.