I enjoyed your comments on the recent post when I’ve asked you to match scents to a baroque Spanish still life. In my collection, I have a beautiful Mughal period miniature depicting a woman draped in jasmine. I couldn’t resist tossing it among–which fragrance would you pick to represent the mood of this painting.
As you can see, the lady has a bottle of perfume and a flask of rosewater in front of her.
Image by Bois de Jasmin
Welcome to Bois de Jasmin! I'm a writer, journalist and professionally trained perfumer. On these pages I explore the world of senses through art, literature, and history. - Victoria
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41 Comments
Kat: Something very feminine and floral and a bit on the heavy side but not too much: Paris (original brew) by YSL. October 11, 2019 at 7:33am
Nancy Chan: The perfume that spring to my mind would be Santal Majuscle by Serge Lutens. The Rose and Sandalwood adds sensuality, smoothness and tranquillity. This perfume I think really matches the picture shown. October 11, 2019 at 7:44am
Melissa Rosen: Kilian Rose Oud… October 11, 2019 at 9:19am
Tamasin: Rose Gold by Ormonde Jayne, with rose absoluo, Jasmine absolute. And I just tried Boudacea the Victorious, Almas. October 18, 2019 at 5:35am
Gabriela: So feminine, definitely Samsara for all that jasmine and sandalwood…. beautiful picture by the way. October 11, 2019 at 9:19am
Filomena: Beautiful picture! I would go with Rodin Olio Lusco pure perfume, a beautiful jasmine. October 11, 2019 at 9:32am
Silvermoon: Beautiful painting – with a real cool feel to it (the blue and white colours), although it clearly is a hot tropical night. It immediately made me think of Une Nuit Magnetique (The Different Company). It just seemed the right mood. Then, a second perfume from the same house came to mind – Oriental Lounge.
However, if I focus on the items on display in the painting, I would go for a sultry jasmine (Songes by Goutal perhaps) or a woody rose (how about Velvet Rose and Oud by Jo Malone?) or something with sandalwood and rose (Bois des Iles or Samsara, like suggested by Gabriela above). October 11, 2019 at 9:59am
Ramin: Hello .
Cedre sambac by christine nagel October 11, 2019 at 10:12am
Heidi: I’m thinking something delicate, but with a sultry undertone? Like L’Artisan Safran Troublant. October 11, 2019 at 11:47am
Matty: A beautiful painting. I will go with Samsara. October 11, 2019 at 11:52am
Sss: Omg! What a painting! Do you have more info on its history and who it is by? How did you come by it? October 15, 2019 at 1:31am
Martina: Shalimar, l’ extrait October 11, 2019 at 12:07pm
Deanna: “Fresh accords of dewy jasmine buds green and tender, heart of tuberose, base of sandlewood “
Gardens of India, by Parle Moi de Parfum.
I had to have it! October 11, 2019 at 12:07pm
Karen A: I lived in it over the summer! A quiet beauty. October 13, 2019 at 8:36am
Debi Sen Gupta: Atar or ittar, or course. October 11, 2019 at 12:32pm
Sissi: Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum. There needs to be saffron there! October 11, 2019 at 12:40pm
Sajini: In India there is a tradition of dressing up the deities in beautiful fabrics and flowers. Recently I took a restorative yoga class and while I was in a long, relaxing reclined pose, the instructor placed various cloths and pillows around my head and body. I felt like a temple deity being lovingly attended to. That lovely painting reminds me of that experience. I would choose lily of the valley perfume oil for this scene. October 11, 2019 at 1:31pm
Fazal: Lutens A la Nuit which I find to be the most realistic rendition of jasmine among those I have smelled. The moon in the painting indicates it is nighttime so maybe a gothic jasmine like Sarrasins would be an even better choice. October 11, 2019 at 1:35pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Yes, I completely agree with Fazal: A la nuit, it should be. Perhaps a drop of musc layered underneath, why not Muscs Koublaï Khan? October 11, 2019 at 4:28pm
Fazal: OnWingsofSaffron, the Muscs Koublai Khan may add musky sensuality but I think it may also be possible to do without it. I suspect people back then smelled raunchier than us anyway because the hygiene trends and hygiene facilities we take for granted today did not probably exist back then. Daily shower would have been kinda a luxury for most of them except the few. So while A la Nuit may smell clean jasmine on our skins, it might have smelled animalic jasmine on their skins when the perfume interacted with their bodies. October 12, 2019 at 5:15am
OnWingsofSaffron: I‘d beg to differ as far as the „lady in waiting“ is concerned. I am sure her hygienic standards were pretty high, also by current standards; we’re not looking at some subaltern person. I think her whole raison d‘etre was geared to pleasure some high class man who yet has not entered the scene. So I stand by the musk. However, I‘d be willing to swap the MKK with a less raunchy Lutens musk—I‘ve forgotten the name of it October 12, 2019 at 9:11am
Mel: Incense Rose by Andy Tauer! October 11, 2019 at 2:27pm
Elizabeth: Persephenie(Los Angeles) makes beautiful Attars. I suggest Jasmine Egyptian, J. Grandiflorum extract infused into organic Marula oil. Swoon. Like the swoons I get from this beautiful painting. There are also Rose Sandalwood, Blue Lotus, Tuberose Vetiver attar options. Trying to stay calm! 🙂 October 11, 2019 at 4:22pm
rickyrebarco: Keiko Mecheri’s Attar de Roses seems perfect. October 11, 2019 at 4:25pm
Marium: For me
Christian Dior J’Adore
Love the jasmine in this evergreen Fragrance ! October 11, 2019 at 5:12pm
Nora Sz.: Hi Victoria and perfume lovers,
Something sultry for sure: Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens. October 12, 2019 at 8:40am
Tourmaline: Hi Victoria,
This is a lovely picture.
I appreciate the balance of the three women, the three sets of trees, and the three plants with white flowers (jasmine?), as well as the contrast between dark and light, and all the fine detail.
I think that perhaps the ladies on either side are preparing the one in the middle for a wedding, or maybe her wedding night. In any case, there is a very sensual element to the picture. For this reason, I chose two fragrances with very indolic jasmine – the night-flowering jasmine sambac, as well as rose (for the flask of rosewater).
First of all, I would suggest Clinique’s Aromatics Elixir Perfumer’s Reserve, which, according to Fragrantica, has middle notes of tuberose, jasmine sambac and rose, and base notes of patchouli, moss, myrrh, labdanum, vetiver, dark woods and resins – sounds very sultry!
Another option could be the original J’Adore, which includes notes of ivy leaves, jasmine sambac, Turkish rose, blackberry musk, wood and plum. Note that in flower meaning lore, the ivy vine can represent marriage and a strong bond of love in marriage.
I do believe that you have hit upon an effective means of encouraging people to think about the way different fragrances (and fragrance ingredients) make them feel, as well as the associations – such as moods – that they conjure. It is also a very enjoyable exercise!
With kind regards,
Tourmaline October 12, 2019 at 10:14am
spe: Jasmine Imperatrice Eugenie by Creed. October 12, 2019 at 12:31pm
Zazie: Love the atmosphere of this painting!
To me, it’s desaturated colors bathing in blue light, the flower references and the floral waters, as well the delicious sweets (or do I think) that are waiting to be enjoyed…whisper about one perfume: Guerlain’s l’heure bleue…
Had the atmosphere been more melancholic and less sensual, I would have opted for après l’ondée…
Love this game and reading everyone’s responses.
Perfumes do conjure images, sometimes, so it’s nice to see that the reverse is also true!!! October 12, 2019 at 3:32pm
Lema Haddad: Why not Nahema? A dark spicy sultry rose? The blue tone of the painting and the dark trees in the backgrounds alludes to a more confidant and fully ripe woman October 12, 2019 at 3:41pm
Cybele: A La Nuit of course October 12, 2019 at 8:29pm
She-ra: Lubin Kismet which reminds me of Shalimar Light but with amped up patchouli. October 13, 2019 at 12:09am
Aurora: What a beautiful miniature! My choice for it is Donna Karan Essence Jasmine, a favorite jasmine fragrance. That series by DK was so good, I also have Wenge. October 13, 2019 at 1:55am
Elizabeth Ryerson: I have commented above. Want to add that I purchased a bottle of Jasmin grandiflorum Absolute Egypt, created by 1000 Flowers perfumer, September Jessica Buchanan, over the summer. It’s a very beautiful Soliflore. I love it! Would be a wonderful fragrance to compliment this gorgeous artwork. October 14, 2019 at 10:21am
Jodee: I’m late to the party here, but I’ll add that I think Tom Ford’s Santal Blush would beautifully compliment this miniature. I’ll also second Silvermoon’s suggestion of Annick Goutal’s Songes– particularly lovely would be the bath oil version! 🙂 October 14, 2019 at 3:02pm
Nick: Coincidentally, I was learning to distinguish between Sandalwood East India and Sandalwood Australia and decided to just visit your blog for a break!
I think I would layer À la Nuit on top of Tam Dao and Vétiver for the effect. October 14, 2019 at 3:43pm
Nadia: Hi everyone! For its “sustained illusion of something that is yet to happen” as Victoria has so correctly mentioned in one of her posts and a dream-like exotic journey, I’d recommend “Magie Noire” by Lancôme. October 14, 2019 at 3:45pm
Lynnaea: Dusita La Douceur de Siam. October 15, 2019 at 12:10am
Sss: Omg! What a painting! Do you have more info on its history and who it is by? How did you come by it? October 15, 2019 at 1:32am
CC: Of course, it’s Portrait of a Lady! I’ve always suspected this is how it actually is made 🙂
It’s also a perfume that infallibly evokes India to me, there’d some overlap I can’t quite pin down with the scent of an Indian wedding. October 15, 2019 at 11:08am
Charlotte Barrow: Lush Lust! Looks like she’s preparing for some naughty exploits 🙂 October 17, 2019 at 9:58am