The Musician
Artist: Bartholomeus van der Helst (Dutch, 1612–1670)
Original Dimensions: 54 1/2" x 43 3/4"
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
About Artwork: (1662) "Tuning the strings of her theorbo-lute, a beautiful musician directs an engaging glance at the viewer. The foreground of the picture displays a viola da gamba and sheet music for tenor and soprano voices, suggesting that the lute player anticipates a duet. Dutch painters of the seventeenth century frequently associated music-making and courtship with amateur concerts, providing opportunities for mingling and flirtation." - (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

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