Toxic Varnishes: Perfumes, Stench, and Glow in Eighteenth-century French Salons

As several historians, including Alain Corbin, have noted, a new sensitivity to odors emerged in the 18 th century that increased people’s negative responses to strong smells and heightened the demand for fragrances that were not only pleasant but also light and subtle. Some scholars see this period as a true “olfactory revolution.” How was this expressed in the salon, perceived both as a luxurious space and a site of elite sociability? This focus on the smell of varnish aims to illustrate how the scent of materials intertwined with the pleasures of decorative arts, both in the entire space of the salon and in relation to the small objects handled within it. Since varnished objects and décor were simultaneously fashionable, highly desirable items and sources of olfactory nuisance, they present an intriguing case study to highlight the paradoxes and complexities of the olfactory culture of the period.