Het zintuig Reuk c. 1670 - 1770

Editor: This is “Het zintuig Reuk,” or "The Sense of Smell," a print from around 1670-1770, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It's… well, it’s quite pungent, isn’t it? The expressions on everyone’s faces are so vivid. What do you make of it? Curator: The humor here is thick, but also revealing. These so-called "genre paintings" often depicted peasant life, not always realistically. Instead, artists like to poke fun, sometimes with a critical social agenda. Look at the central image: the handling of the child seems almost…callous. What’s the message about societal attitudes towards care, towards hygiene, particularly amongst the lower classes, implied in making the smell the joke? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s not just a funny scene, it's got an edge to it. There's also a painting of a man smoking a pipe hung up on the wall in this room that the family occupies - does that add another layer? Curator: It does. The pipe smoker reinforces the central theme – our reliance and reactions to different sensory stimuli. The very act of creating this piece speaks to something: Was it meant for a bourgeois audience? Did the consumer reflect on his/her place within that world of odors and wealth, while others were experiencing such unpleasantness, prompting feelings of disgust or perhaps even superiority? Editor: So, by exaggerating the scene, the artist is perhaps prompting those viewers to reflect on their own privileges? Curator: Precisely. It's art serving a clear public role, commenting on societal divisions through visual satire. How does that perspective shift your understanding? Editor: It makes me think about who the intended audience was and how their social position influenced how they perceived the artwork, which is powerful and insightful! Curator: Exactly. This image is much more than a simple representation of peasant life; it’s a cultural artifact, reflecting – and shaping – the socio-political attitudes of its time.