Given the amount of time and effort that curators, collectors, dealers, scholars, and critics spend on formulating judgments of taste in relation to oil paintings, it seems odd that so few are prepared to apply some of the same skills in exploring works of art that stimulate another sense altogether: that of smell.
Topic
Why great perfume isn’t considered a serious art form—despite strong similarities to painting and music.
Framework
Challenge Position (The author challenges the position that perfume is not taken seriously as art.)
Main Point
Even though perfume, like painting and music, is a sophisticated art that stimulates our senses and emotions, it isn’t taken as seriously as visual or musical arts, partly due to commercialization and neglect by art professionals. *Most Valuable Sentence*: "Why is great perfume not taken more seriously?" (end of P1 and developed throughout passage) and (P3).
P1: Surprise at Perfume’s Neglect by Art Professionals
Despite how much time experts spend evaluating visual arts, almost nobody in the art world approaches perfume with the same seriousness, even though some perfumes are true masterpieces.
P2: Comparing Painting and Perfumery Techniques
The passage draws parallels between painting and perfume-making, describing how both involve crafting complex creations from natural and synthetic materials, with both changing over time.
P3: Perfume as a Sophisticated, Emotional Art
Just as painters create moods and stories with color, skilled perfumers (“noses”) use scents to evoke deep emotional memories and experiences—making perfume as intimate and powerful as painting or music.