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The Sense of Taste

The Sense of Taste

Object type Painting
Genre Allegory
Date 1618
Dimensions 64 x 109 cm
Support Panel
Medium Oil
Signature BRUEGHEL FE. 1618
Collaborators Peter Paul Rubens
Our attribution Jan Brueghel the Elder
Other authorities Ertz 2008-10, #536
Ertz 1979, #330
Location Madrid, Spain
Collection Museo del Prado
Accession numbers inv. #1397
Series The Five Senses
Tags Abundance, Encyclopedic, Senses, Animals, Rubens, Painting Within A Painting, Landscape, Food, Fruit
External resources Museo del Prado
De Maeyer 1955, pp. 42-43, 112, 114, 118
Speth-Holterhoff 1957, pp. 29, 46-54
Ertz 1979, cat. #330, fig.422, pp. 328-56
Muller Hofstede 1984
Scarpa Sonino 1992, pp. 21-27
Härting 1993, pp. 129-31
Díaz Padrón 1995, pp. 265-86
Welzel in Madrid 1999-2000, pp. 82-97
Van Mulders 2000, p. 120
Van Suchtelen in Los Angeles/The Hague 2006, pp. 90-99
Ertz 2008-10, cat. #536
Richardson 2011, pp. 107-108, plate 7
McFadden, forthcoming
Brussels 1980, cat. #142
Madrid 1992, cat. #14, pp. 142-46
Madrid 1997, cat. #IV.4
Los Angeles/The Hague 2006, cat. #8
(Probably) commissioned by Albert and Isabella
Düsseldorf (Probably) given to Wolfgang-Wilhelm von Zweibrucken, Count Palatine and Duke of Neuburg
1634 Austria (Probably) Gift from Wolfgang-Wilhelm to the cardinal-infante Ferdinand, brother of Philip IV
1634 Spain Gift from the cardinal-infante to the Duke of Medina de las Torres
1636 Madrid Gift from Medina de las Torres to the King; in the Alcázar
1819 Madrid Collection of the Museo Nacional del Prado
E.A. Honig
April 23, 2014

This painting is part of a series of the five sense completed between 1617-1618. Please see:

A copy attributed to Jan Brueghel (I?) and Jan van Kessel (panel, 69 x 115 cm) sold at auction in Antwerp, Mar. 13, 1932, #67.
A copy attributed to JBI and van Balen described as "Allegory of Abundance" sold by de Hirsch, June 17, 1904, #11.
Copy attributed to Jan Brueghel (I?) and Jan van Kessel sold Brussels, Dec. 8, 1924 by P. Verrier.
Copy attribued to to Jan Brueghel and H. van Balen (panel, 66 x 108 cm), sold Vienna, J. C. von Klinkosch, April 2, 1889, #29.
Possibly same copy in Goldschmidt collection in 1898 (see Sight) and I think was sold 17 June 1904 from collection Barone de Il (?) along with Sight. Panel, 68 x 110, close to original size and not bad.
A hideously poor copy sold Fievez 8-9 December 1924 #26 (panel, 170 x 112 which cannot be right). Could this be identical with first one listed above?

Represented at left is a version of Ertz 488 or 489, the Fruit Garland with Offering to Ceres that is a collaboration between Jan and Van Balen.