The Sense of Smell

Art Historical Context

Edme Bouchardon’s *The Sense of Smell* captures an elegant allegorical scene rendered in luminous red chalk on paper. Created as a counterproof—a technique in which a fresh drawing is pressed against a second sheet to produce a reversed image—the work showcases Bouchardon’s mastery of soft modeling and delicate line. The medium’s warm, velvety tones lend a lifelike quality to the central male figure, who is accompanied by a dog and ornate vases, traditional symbols associated with the sense of smell. Active in eighteenth-century France, Bouchardon was celebrated both as a sculptor and as a draftsman whose preparatory studies often explored classical themes with refined naturalism. Though the precise date of this sheet remains unknown, its subject belongs to a long European tradition of personifying the five senses. Here the artist transforms a potentially simple genre motif into a graceful meditation on sensory experience, inviting viewers to consider how sight, scent, and touch intertwine. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Harry G. Sperling Fund in 1973, the drawing exemplifies the refined draftsmanship prized in French academic circles. Its modest scale—roughly fifteen by twelve inches—belies the sophistication of its execution, offering today’s visitors an intimate glimpse into Bouchardon’s thoughtful exploration of human perception.

About the Artist

Edme Bouchardon · 1698–1762

Born 29 May 1698; died 27 July 1762. Bouchardon was a student of Guillaume Coustou, and won the prix de Rome in 1722. He spent ten years (1722-1732) in Rome, Italy working on various projects for Pope Clement XII. In 1732 Bouchardon was recalled to Paris and named sculptor to the king. Bouchardon became a professor at the Académie Royale in 1746. He worked on an equestrian monument of Louis XV, Ki...