- An investigation into the portrayal of smell in 17th-century art
Scented flowers and perfumes, foul-smelling canals and unpleasant body
odors, smell and well-being, new aromas from far-away lands (spices,
tobacco, coffee and tea), the disappearing smells of the bleaching
fields, old crafts and more. Can life in the 17th century be captured in
smell? How are smell (and scent) portrayed? What significance did people
attach to smell? And what aromatic connotations do artworks have? In
this book the authors undertake smell-historical research. In the
vicinity of the art, various historic scents will be prepared to bring
the paintings in the exhibition to life.