A period copy after a now lost original by jacob adriaensz backer that once formed part of a series of five works, each illustrating one of the senses. The original series included backer’s old man holding a mirror fragment (allegory of sight)1 and his drinker (allegory of taste),2 both of which are today in the gemäldegalerie in berlin, as well as probably his violin player (allegory of hearing) in the szépmüveszéti múzeum, budapest. 3 his allegory of touch has not been located, and his allegory of smell is known only through the present copy. This series by backer seems to have proven successful. In addition to the present painting, copies are known of the allegory of taste and the allegory of hearing,4 suggesting that there were likely several complete series of senses made after backer’s original set made by members of his workshop, circle, later imitators. Throughout the twentieth century, this portrait was published by art historians such as bauch and sumowski as an original work by jacob adriaensz backer, and at times it was supposed that the model for the young man smoking was adriaen brouwer. Object Type: painting. Dimensions: height: 72 cm (28.3 in) ; width: 60.5 cm (23.8 in). Medium: oil on panel. Collection: Munich Central Collecting Point. Backer, Jacob Adriaensz Circle of - Portrait of a Man smoking a pipe (The sense of smell)
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