Probably painted around the time Jan did his two major series of senses pictures, perhaps slightly earlier.

Figure in center, who represents Man (as Blankart correctly argued), is surrounded further by animals that signify 5 senses: eagle/sight, deer/hearing; dog/smell; monkey/taste, and turtle/touch. He subjugates taste and touch as the basest senses. According to Johnny van Haeften catalogue, following Blankart, "The clear message is that no longer are the senses the dangerous deceivers that they were once thought to be, but they are loyal and dedicated servants at the Court of Man. Man, the all powerful, rules these tamed faculties with temperance, here symbolized by the tiny pair of compasses held in his right hand." The identification Blankart had made of man at table as "Man" is based on a print by A Collaert after Adam van Noort, which shows Man with the senses as his dedicated servants: he needs only "temperance" to govern them. Museum brochure uses as comparison Frans Francken's Four Continents allegory in Oldenburg, Landesmuseum, from 1629. Interesting connection possibly registering impact of present work?