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Attributes of Music

1863

François Bonvin

(French, 1817–1887)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
oil on fabric
Measurements
Unframed: 62.6 x 116 cm (24 5/8 x 45 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Noah L. Butkin 1980.233
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A lute and flute rest on top of sheet music. This painting was intended to hang above a door, opposite still lifes that represented the other fine arts of painting and sculpture (the two related paintings are in the Musée du Louvre, Paris). Bonvin was part of the 19th-century movement known as Realism. Led by Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), the Realist painters were interested in depicting the world that surrounded them, as well as the popular culture of their time.
A horizontally oriented oil painting depicts a somber musical still life. Centrally, a polished brown lute rests against a red folder and yellowed, tattered sheet music. A wooden flute with ivory bands lies horizontally across a pile of papers. To the left, delicate white roses and a red bloom wilt on the table. On the right, a gray vertical surface is inscribed with a signature and year 1863. Dramatic light falls from the left.

Attributes of Music

1863

François Bonvin

(French, 1817–1887)
France, 19th century

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