Taste 1730 - 1765

Curator: This engraving, titled "Taste," dates from sometime between 1730 and 1765. While the piece is attributed to Anne Claude Philippe Caylus, it appears to have been made after a drawing by Bouchardon and engraved by P. Fessard. It's part of the Metropolitan Museum's collection. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The figure is so grounded. Even amidst clouds and that precarious perch atop what looks like a globe, the resolute figure feels quite classical in its stoicism. I can also read an undeniable gendered imbalance. Curator: Exactly, let's delve into that a bit. The allegory of Taste, often depicted as a sensual indulgence, here takes on a curious duality. Consider how the semi-nude female form intersects with notions of power, knowledge, and global conquest. She literally stands on the world, but at what cost? Is it not ironic to pose as the image of a gender still seeking fair access to power and freedom of expression? Editor: Interesting point. It highlights a prevailing theme throughout history – the body as symbol and, at times, as battleground. The artist employs a classical trope—nude woman plus earth equals dominance—but with an undercurrent of something almost cynical? What if the world, for her, becomes not something to control but rather an opportunity to connect and develop reciprocal bonds? Curator: Certainly. The apple she tastes and the basket of fruit she holds suggest a sensuous and fertile experience, a generosity towards an abstract idea, but one tinged with constraint and perhaps the limits of accessibility and participation. A reminder perhaps that our sensory experiences are never truly neutral, but loaded with historical and cultural weight. The symbolism speaks to how pleasure itself is structured and distributed, with profound implications for understanding identity politics. Editor: So, rather than seeing "Taste" as a straightforward allegory of sensory pleasure, we're really seeing an icon laden with layered, even conflicting messages. The cloud imagery normally stands for a heavenly realm. Is she free or trapped in this heavenly body of privilege and status? It gives pause for thought. Thank you. Curator: Thank you. Food for thought, indeed.