This week’s work of art is another one not strictly beer-oriented, again focusing on our fives senses, and in particular smell and taste, to create and enjoy the flavor of beer. The painter is Simon De Vos, who born in Belgium in 1603. The painting is known as The Allegory of the Five Senses and is an oil painting on copper. It was completed in 1640. The Baroque artwork is also subtitled “A Merry Company in an Interior.”

Here’s a description of the painting from TerminARTors.

In this allegory the five senses are represented as a merry company. Hearing is embodied by the playing musicians, Taste by the flagons of wine, Sight by the lovers gazing into each other’s eyes, Smell by the dog or pipe smoke, and Touch by both the central girl’s contact with the musical instrument and the contact between the lovers to her left. The pyramidal, Mannerist composition, the rich colours and elegant twisting figures are all motifs typical of De Vos’ work. The influence of Johann Liss, whom the artist probably met first in either Venice or Rome in the 1620s, is apparent.

You can see more of Simon de Vos’ paintings at the WikiGallery and also the TerminARTors. There are also additional links at the ArtCyclopedia.