De Smaak (Taste) - Jan Saenredam

An allegorical engraving from 1596 by Jan Saenredam representing the sense of taste, featuring a moralising warning against gluttony.

This engraving, titled De Smaak (Taste), is part of a series representing the Five Senses, produced by the Dutch artist Jan Saenredam in 1596. Saenredam was a skilled printmaker and draughtsman, known for his technical precision and his ability to translate the complex compositions of Mannerist painters into the medium of engraving.

The image depicts a couple engaged in the act of eating, a direct representation of the sense of taste. The man holds a piece of fruit to his lips, while the woman looks on. A monkey, a traditional symbol of base instincts and gluttony, sits in the background, reinforcing the moralising tone of the work. The Latin inscription at the bottom, 'Dulcia sepe nocent avido gustata palato, votaque damnose luxuriosa gule', translates to a warning that sweet things often harm the greedy palate, and that the desires of the gluttonous throat are destructive.

Saenredam employs a sophisticated system of hatching and cross-hatching to define the textures of the clothing, the skin, and the surrounding foliage. The figures are rendered with the elongated proportions and graceful, artificial poses characteristic of the Mannerist style. The composition is tightly controlled, focusing the viewer's attention on the interaction between the two figures and the symbolic elements that surround them. This print offers a glimpse into the late sixteenth-century Dutch preoccupation with moral allegory, where everyday activities were frequently used to convey lessons about human behaviour and the dangers of excess. The work is a fine example of the technical mastery achieved by Dutch engravers during this period, demonstrating a high level of control over line and shadow to create a sense of volume and depth on a two-dimensional surface.