Spanish school seventeenth century. Workshop of JOSÉ DE RIBERA (Xátiva, Valencia, 1591 – Naples, 1652).

This work follows the models of the painting “The smell” that belongs to the series “The five senses”, painted by José de Ribera when he was in Rome, currently in the collection Juan Abelló. As did “El Españoleto”, the artist of our canvas captures the image in a naturalistic style inspired by Caravaggio, from whom he takes the violent tenebrist lighting and the use of humble figures. Thus, the sense of smell is represented by a mature man, dressed in a threadbare shirt of undefined color due to dirt, seated before an austere wooden table on which an onion and a head of garlic can be seen. In his hands he holds an onion, while looking directly at the viewer.