The Sense of Sight
1617 Museo del Prado
About this artwork
This work is one of a series of five paintings representing the Five Senses, painted in collaboration with Peter Paul Rubens who likely executed the figures. The composition meticulously depicts an extensive art gallery and cabinet of curiosities filled with paintings, sculptures, and scientific instruments.
Did you know?
This painting was commissioned by Archduke Albert VII of Austria and his wife Isabella Clara Eugenia to represent the 'Sense of Sight' as part of an allegorical series. Brueghel included depictions of actual items in the Archduke's own collection, essentially creating a 'painted catalogue' of his vast holdings. The inclusion of Peter Paul Rubens' figures adds a dynamic, human element to the otherwise static and dense collection of objects.
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The Sense of Sight
Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1617
