Reuk

A man in a ruffed collar holds a single rose to his nose while embracing a woman who holds a large basket of blooming flowers. A dog rests at the man's feet, and a vase of flowers sits on a ledge in the background. The scene is framed by a Latin verse at the bottom that warns of the bitterness hidden beneath sweet scents.

This print is part of a series on the Five Senses, reflecting the Northern Renaissance effort to classify human perception within the framework of natural philosophy. The moralizing inscription connects the sensory experience to the 'vanitas' tradition, suggesting that worldly pleasures are deceptive and fleeting.