New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has joined forces with “smart fragrance” company Pura to create a range of scents inspired by some of its artworks and galleries.
Pura has released six aromas, some of which bring to mind the museum’s Astor Chinese Garden Court and Greek galleries, and others that evoke artworks and marble statues.
“We were so excited to work with the Met to develop scents connecting back to their inspiring collection of art,” said Pura’s chief fragrance experience officer Mara Dumski.
“Aiming to evoke moods and tell a story, our collaboration offers an entirely new way to experience the Met collection of 5,000 years of art – while also creating a sense of home and personality through art-inspired fragrance.”
Fragrances in the collection include the ‘Temple of Dendur’-inspired ‘Blue Water Lotus’, and ‘Egyptian Sandalwood’, which was created to evoke the Egyptian landscape.
‘Bamboo Forest’ is inspired by the museum’s Astor Chinese Garden Court, while ‘Spiced Woods’ evokes Himalayan art.
‘Terracotta Rose’ is meant to call to mind the institution’s Greek galleries, and ‘Perfume Immortelle’ represents its Roman marble statues.
“As fans of Pura, we are excited to launch this unique home fragrance experience, which adds a new dimension to art appreciation,” said Josh Romm, the Met’s head of global licensing and partnerships.
‘Temple of Dendur’-themed aroma
“Art has the power to create connections and transport people across time and place – and this program provides a new and exciting opportunity for fans of the Met to experience art, history, and cultures of the world from the comfort of home.”
The Louvre in France also teamed up with a perfume company to create artwork-inspired fragrances, as did Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum.
Elsewhere, Madrid’s Prado Museum has recreated the fragrances of some of the items seen in ‘The Sense of Smell’, and an exhibition at the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands allowed visitors to smell the artworks.
