The Musicians
Lucas van Leyden · 1524 · Art Institute of Chicago
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This engraving by Lucas van Leyden illustrates marital harmony by depicting a couple making music together. In this instance the woman plays the dominant role. She sounds a note on a three-stringed rebec (similar to a violin) while her husband tunes his lute, plucking a string and turning a tuning peg. The man has also removed one of his clogs, a sign of submission. The couple appears to be prosperous, as they wear fine, fur-trimmed garments and play musical instruments associated with court culture.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- Lucas van Leyden, Netherlandish, c. 1494-1533
- Date
- 1524
- Medium
- Engraving in black on cream laid paper
- Dimensions
- Image/plate: 11.7 × 7.5 cm (4 5/8 × 3 in.); Sheet: 11.9 × 7.7 cm (4 11/16 × 3 1/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Netherlands
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- The Charles Deering Collection
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
