Hearing (Auditus), from Quinque Sensuum

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Hearing (Auditus)*, forms part of the series *Quinque Sensuum* (Five Senses), created around 1655 by designer Franz Cleyn and engraver Robert Walton. As a print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of Drawings and Prints, it exemplifies the 17th-century tradition of allegorical imagery that personified human senses through elegant, symbolic figures. Measuring just under four by eight inches, the work’s intimate scale suited it for decorative use in books, cabinets, or architectural settings. The composition centers on female figures accompanied by musical instruments such as lutes and bagpipes, along with a deer, evoking the auditory world. These elements reflect how artists of the period used graceful nudes and attributes to make abstract concepts vivid and memorable for viewers. Engravings like this one allowed such refined designs to reach a wider audience beyond painted originals. Created during a time when printmaking flourished across Europe, *Hearing* highlights the collaborative nature of the medium, with Cleyn’s inventive compositions realized through Walton’s precise line work. Today it offers a charming window into Baroque-era ideas of perception and pleasure.