De vijf zintuigen Possibly 1832 - 1839

Jean Bernard created this small drawing, "De vijf zintuigen," at an unknown date, during a period of significant social and political change in Europe. Bernard, working in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, lived through the Enlightenment and the rise of scientific rationalism, which promoted empirical observation and sensory experience as key to understanding the world. In this sketch, we see five figures, each engaging with a different sense: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. It is fascinating to consider how Bernard may have understood the social dimensions of the senses. Who had access to certain sensory experiences, and how did these experiences shape social hierarchies? For example, could access to certain smells indicate class? Bernard does not present these senses as universal experiences; instead, they are embodied and socially situated. This drawing thus invites us to consider how sensory experiences are not merely individual, but are always shaped by historical and social forces.