Artwork Page for The Musicians

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The Musicians

1524

Lucas van Leyden

(Netherlandish, 1494–about 1533)
Culture
Netherlands, 16th century
Medium
engraving
Credit Line
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1930.530
Catalogue raisonné
Hollstein 155
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A man tunes a lute with great concentration, plucking a single string with one hand and turning the tuning peg with the other. Close by, a woman bows a three-stringed rebec--an instrument tuned in fifths like a violin, usually used to play dance music. The costly braiding decorating the man’s coat, and his tight-fitting stockings and pointed wooden sandals suggest the clothing of the courtly class at end of the 15th century. The engraving has been interpreted as depicting marital harmony and longstanding fidelity.
A vertically oriented print in black ink depicts two musicians seated outdoors. On the left, a man wearing a round hat plays a lute, with one bare foot resting near a wooden shoe on the ground. On the right, an older woman in a headscarf plays a small bowed instrument. A wooden fence and trees stand behind them. At the top center and right, the letter L and date 1524 are inscribed.

The Musicians

1524

Lucas van Leyden

(Netherlandish, 1494–about 1533)
Netherlands, 16th century

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