Het Gevoel (The Sense of Touch) - Salomon Savery

A Dutch Golden Age etching by Salomon Savery depicting an elderly woman and child warming their hands by a fire, representing the sense of touch.

This etching by Salomon Savery, titled Het Gevoel, represents the sense of touch within a series dedicated to the five senses. The composition depicts an elderly woman seated on a simple wooden chair, warming her hands before a fire. A child sits in her lap, also extending their hands towards the flames. The artist employs precise, rhythmic hatching to define the folds of their garments and the texture of the fire, creating a clear sense of physical warmth and domestic intimacy.

Savery, a Dutch engraver and publisher active in Amsterdam, was known for his technical proficiency in printmaking. This work reflects the period interest in allegorical representations of human experience, often translated into everyday, relatable scenes. The figures are rendered with a focus on their interaction with the environment, specifically the tactile experience of heat. The stark contrast between the light emanating from the fire and the surrounding shadows provides a sense of depth and focus on the central figures.

The print is marked with the number 3 in the lower right corner, indicating its place within a larger set. The inscription T, Gevoel at the top identifies the subject matter clearly for the viewer. The style is characteristic of mid-seventeenth-century Dutch printmaking, where artists frequently explored themes of human perception through humble, domestic subjects. The work avoids unnecessary ornamentation, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the quiet, shared moment between the two figures. The lines are clean and deliberate, demonstrating the artist's control over the etching needle to convey both the softness of the clothing and the flickering quality of the flames.