The music lesson

Borch, Gerard ter, the younger (1617-1681)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

1660s

Height:

86.3 cm  (34 in.)

Width:

70.1 cm  (27 5/8 in.)

Technique / Medium:

oil on canvas

Description

Flirtation in the form of bold eye contact sets the mood of this intimate painting of music-making in a Dutch middle class interior. Music has long been associated with love, and the lute in particular could symbolize marital harmony, hearts “in tune” with one another, or even lust. The bright finery of the young couple tells us they are not married, since married couples typically wore darker, more sober clothing. They have eyes only for each other, while the standing man (often identified as a music teacher) seems more intent on observing the dashing young man’s proficiency at the lute than in noticing his amorous intentions toward the young woman. [Toledo Museum of Art description]

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Lute [3394]

Image URLs

image link 1
image link 2

RIdIM record id

3804