The Beautiful Night of Five Senses (Le Beau Seiour des Cinq Sens) 1620 - 1650

Jean Couvay’s engraving, "The Beautiful Night of Five Senses," presents us with allegorical figures embodying sensory experiences. Dominating the image, we see figures engaged in activities that represent seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, revealing the human sensorium as a source of pleasure and understanding. Consider the recurring motif of the embrace, here representing touch. This gesture, seen in classical sculpture and religious paintings, appears throughout history as a symbol of intimacy, connection, and emotional exchange. The power of the embrace lies in its ability to transcend language, directly conveying feelings that resonate deep within our shared human experience. We might consider the collective memory associated with touch—a fundamental sense linked to comfort, security, and affection. These sensory experiences engage viewers on a subconscious level by speaking to our innate understanding of human emotion and connection. Such themes reappear cyclically, evolving yet retaining their core essence.