The Five Senses (series) facts for kids
The Five Senses is a group of five paintings. They were made in a city called Antwerp between 1617 and 1618. Two famous artists worked on them: Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. Brueghel painted the backgrounds and all the cool objects. Rubens painted the people in the pictures.
These paintings are now in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. They are all oil paintings on wood panels. Each one is about 65 by 110 centimeters (about 25 by 43 inches). This series is one of the most famous works these two friends did together.
The idea of showing the five senses as female figures was not new. It started even earlier, around the year 1500. But Brueghel was the first to show the senses using lots of objects. He included art, musical instruments, science tools, and even military gear. He also added flowers, hunted animals, and fish. Many artists later copied his style.
About the Paintings
Rubens painted the main female figures in each painting. A small winged angel, called a putto or Cupid, is with the figures in Sight, Hearing, Smell, and Touch. In Taste, a satyr is with the figure.
Brueghel created the amazing backgrounds. These backgrounds show the fancy style of the court of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, and his wife Isabella Clara Eugenia. These rulers were in charge of the Spanish Netherlands. Both artists worked for them.
What Each Painting Shows
- Sight: The female figure is looking at a painting of Jesus healing a blind man. She is in a room full of interesting things. There are many pictures, old statues, art objects, and science tools.
- Hearing: The figure is playing a lute, which is like a guitar. She is surrounded by many musical instruments and clocks.
- Smell: She sits among beautiful flowers in a garden. You can see a place where perfumes are made on the left side of the painting.
- Taste: She is sitting at a table piled high with food for a big party. She is eating an oyster, and a satyr is pouring her a drink.
- Touch: She is hugging a putto in a room full of armor and weapons. There are also medical tools. This shows that touch can include feeling pain.
Most of the small details in the paintings are related to the senses. For example, in Sight, you can see many types of paintings. One painting shows St Cecilia, who is known for eyesight. The pictures also show real flowers and painted flowers. This was a way to talk about whether art or nature was more important.
Some people think that Albert and Isabella asked for these paintings. Many details in the art point to them. Three of the paintings show their palaces in the background. Sight even has a double portrait of the couple. It also shows a portrait of Albert on a horse. A chandelier in the painting has a double-headed eagle, which was a symbol for the Habsburg family. In Hearing, the music being played is a song written for the couple.
Who Owned These Paintings?
The first known owner of these paintings was Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg. In 1634, he gave them to Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria. Ferdinand had just become the new governor of the Spanish Netherlands. This happened after Albert and Isabella passed away.
Ferdinand then gave the paintings to his brother, King Philip IV of Spain. The king hung them in the reading room at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid. Later, the paintings were moved to other royal palaces in Madrid. In 1819, they became part of the first collection at the Prado Museum.
Learn More
- The Five Senses (pair of paintings), another set of paintings made around the same time by Brueghel and other artists.
In Spanish: Los cinco sentidos (cuadros) para niños
