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Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileSmaak Gvstvs (titel op object) De vijf zintuigen (serietitel)
after Hendrick Goltzius
A woman draped in flowing robes stands holding a piece of fruit to her lips while clutching a large bundle of produce. At her feet, a chained monkey reaches into a basket of grapes and vegetables, acting as a foil to the human figure. The scene is set in a wooded landscape, illustrating the sensory delights provided by nature.
This work is part of a series on the five senses, a common theme in Renaissance natural philosophy used to explore the relationship between the material world and human perception. The accompanying Latin verse reflects a Stoic and Neoplatonic concern with temperance, warning that the gifts of Ceres (food) and Bacchus (wine) are only beneficial if one maintains 'moderamina' (moderation).
GVSTVS Cl. Clock. fe. 4 I. Petrus. Gaffard imprimebat Plurima gustus habet, diuersaq[ue], grata palato, Siue ea sint Cereris, seu bona Bacche tua. Tuq[ue], Ceresq[ue] nocet, nisi quis moderamina seruet, Bacchus Lurconi, et pestis acerba Ceres.
Translation
TASTE Cl. Clock fecit. 4 I. Petrus Gaffard was the printer. Taste has very many things, and diverse ones, pleasing to the palate, Whether they be of Ceres, or good Bacchus, yours. Both you, and Ceres, do harm, unless one observes moderation, Bacchus to the glutton, and Ceres a bitter plague.
Aristotle, De Anima
Aristotle's foundational text classifies the five senses and discusses their role in connecting the soul to the physical world.
Cornelius Agrippa, De Occulta Philosophia
Agrippa discusses the five senses as the 'gates' of the soul and their correspondence to the elemental and celestial realms.
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Engraving
allegory
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC0
http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.96060
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
4002 × 5828 px
3494629a206d7d280cb60f41885cce47b2cf4d16
December 29, 2019
March 23, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.