Csornay Boldizsár - Dobos Zsuzsa - Varga Ágota - Zakariás János szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 98. (Budapest, 2003)
TÁTRAI, JÚLIA: 'Jacob de Backer invenit' - The Allegory of Smell. A New Aquisition of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
21. Attributed to Jacob de Backer: The Allegory of Touch. Zanchi collection version. The drawing preserved in Leiden was almost certainly a study for a painting: the colours were noted on the clothes of the figures, and the entire composition is rather sketchy and general. The colours used in the Budapest painting, however, are not always those indicated on the drawing. For example, Juno's top is blue with a red cloak in accordance with the inscription, but her skirt is a greenish-grey rather than the yellow called for. In addition, the veil swathed over the feet of the female figure in the foreground is not yellow, but rather a pale purple. The colour of Flora's dress is also indicated in the drawing, but the reading is not clear. 27 There are also many differences between the duo of Flora and Juno in the drawn and painted versions. In the painting Juno is not standing up straight as in the drawing, but rather bends her upper body - as if in a gesture of adoration - raising her nose to the flowers she has received from Flora. In the drawing Flora is counterpoised leaning on her left leg, while in the painting she leans on her right. The peacock standing behind Juno in the background of the painting has a much thinner and longer neck than the peacock in the drawing, and its tail feathers are less fanned out. Furthermore, the carved 27 The panel of the Sense of Smell underwent conservation, but we will only be able to judge its original palette with absolute certainty after cleaning and restoration.
