The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 19, 2026

A horizontally oriented etching in black ink depicts a boisterous tavern interior. On the left, a man plays a violin while others gather around a central bench with a small dog. To the right, a man in a tall hat stands with hands on hips, observing the crowd. Fine cross-hatching shades the room, which features a hanging wooden cage and a fireplace. Latin text runs along the bottom margin.

Violin Player Seated in the Inn

1685

Cornelis Dusart

(Dutch, 1660–1704)
Netherlands
etching
Platemark: 28.1 x 25 cm (11 1/16 x 9 13/16 in.); Sheet: 29.6 x 26.1 cm (11 5/8 x 10 1/4 in.)
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1943.562
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The broadsheet above the hearth is titled "Tulips and Hyacinths" in Dutch. The cultivation and export of these flowers was an important part of the Dutch economy in the 1600s.

Description

This tavern scene has all the elements of a good time: music, merrymakers, and abundant alcohol. The seated man with raised arms holds a pole glass, meant for passing around among drinkers. A standing figure on the right draws our eye. Dressed in an elegant waistcoat, drink in hand, he observes with a note of amusement. His figure recalls Silenus, Bacchus’s teacher, who appears in numerous mythological scenes in this exhibition. Like Silenus, he encourages viewers to consider wine’s impact on those without self-control. The Latin verses describe the “rustics” depicted, drawing a comparison between their behavior and the viewer, who was assumed to be of a higher social class.
  • ?–1943
    Lewis B. Williams [1880–1966], Cleveland Heights, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    December 29, 1943–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • In Vino Veritas (In Wine, Truth). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 7, 2025-January 11, 2026).
    Graphic Humor. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 1-August 29, 1982).
    Seventeenth Century Dutch Painting. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (February 18-June 8, 1959).
    Dutch Painting, The Golden Age. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 27, 1955).
  • {{cite web|title=Violin Player Seated in the Inn|url=false|author=Cornelis Dusart|year=1685|access-date=19 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1943.562