Abstract
This paper examines the properties of the sense of smell, not only from a traditional
aesthetic and philosophical perspective, but also from the more recent perspectives
of physiology, neuroscience and cognitive psychology. It then describes what role the
sense of smell could play in aesthetics as a ‘science of the senses’ in the future.
The sense of smell has been condemned as barbaric, dull and subjective, and there
have been very few works of art that engage with the sense of smell. However, since the
beginning of the 2000s, there has been an increase in scientific research into olfaction
and a corresponding increase in artists and artworks that use odour and scent as their
primary medium.
Unlike vision, which perceives objects in space, olfaction is a chemical sense caused
by reactions in the body. Olfaction is a cross-modal perception that is susceptible to the
influence of other senses and is a ‘odor–object’ perception influenced by experience and
memory. In fact, this is probably the most important feature of the proximity between
olfaction and art. We conclude by reconsidering the potential of olfaction and art in
aesthetics as a science of sensibility.
