The Five Senses
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
18 × 13 7/8 × 3/16 in. (45.7 × 35.2 × 0.5 cm)
Classification
Albums|Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.1003(1-6)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of 18th-century French Roc art, *The Five Senses*1720–70) captures the playful elegance of François Boucher, a master of decorative scenes, reproduced through the skilled etching and engraving of Gabriel Huquier. This print, measuring 18 × 13 7/8 inches, likely depicts allegorical female figures embodying sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch a popular motif symbolizing human experience amid luxury and sensuality. Huquier's precise printmaking techniques allowed Boucher's whimsical designs to reach a wider audience beyond paintings, reflecting the era's booming market for affordable art. Infused with chinoiserie—Europe's fanciful interpretation of Chinese aesthetics—the composition features graceful women and curious cats in exotic, patterned settings, blending Oriental motifs with French frivolity. This fusion highlights Rococo's love for the exotic and intimate, evoking the lavish interiors of Versailles. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953), *The Five Senses* exemplifies how prints democratized high art, inviting viewers into a world of refined delight and sensory indulgence.
About the Artist
François Boucher|Gabriel Huquier · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...