A Woman Playing a Lute to Two Men, A woman receives lute lessons from a man reading from a book. Another man watches over and a dog walks in the room., 1667-8
Scope and Contents
Vanderbilt photo identifier: SC.MSS.088.DUTC.0634; Public Notes: From the National Gallery: This anecdotal scene depicts a young woman playing a lute in the company of two men. The instrument is a two-headed lute, a popular modification of the standard lute to accommodate additional bass strings. One of the men holds a music book and seems to mark the beat of the music with his upraised hand.
The association between music and love is a frequent subject in Dutch genre painting. Here, as in many of ter Borch's pictures, the relationship between the figures is deliberately ambiguous. The viewer is invited to decide whether this is just a happy domestic scene, or possibly a scene taking place in brothel.
Though influenced by the work of Gabriel Metsu, the painting is more elaborate in composition and psychological resonance than comparable paintings by that artist. Judging from the style and the fashionable clothes, this painting is probably a relatively late work by ter Borch, dating from the late 1660s.
Dates
- Creation: 1667-8
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.
Biographical / Historical
Subjects: dogs; stringed instruments; lutes; books; School: Dutch; Style period: Baroque; Work type: paintings
Full Extent
1 Items : Image Work Type: photographic print ; Image height (in.): 10.1; Image width (in.): 7.7in.
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Physical Description
Medium: oil paint; Physical condition: buckling; stained; Print type: black and white; Support: canvas
General
Artist Nationality: Dutch; Artist Status: confirmed; Inscription translation text type:
Source
- National Gallery, London, England (Repository, Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
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