“A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman”
Vermeer has been in the news a lot lately, with the historic exhibition, “Closer to Johannes Vermeer”, that just wrapped up at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. So, today’s post honors this art legend.
“A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman,” also called “The Music Lesson,” is an oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer, from circa 1662 to 1664. Vermeer was active during the Dutch Golden Age of Art and was associated with the Baroque art movement.
In this piece, a woman is standing playing the virginal, a keyboard in the same family as a harpsichord, while a man watches and listens. The gentleman’s mouth is slightly open, indicating that he may be singing along. The woman’s reflection is visible in the mirror above her head. If you look closely, you can see the artist’s easel reflected in the mirror as well.
The composition of this piece, the mirror, the instrument, the wooden beams on the ceiling, the tablecloth, and the pitcher are all carefully thought out. Many of the props have been used in other Vermeer paintings. The use of perspective created from the angles of how the walls meet the floor, the floor tiles, and the roof beams are typical Vermeer traits. All of his art was painted within two rooms of his home. The same room is clearly identified in “Young Woman with a Water Pitcher” from 1662, “Woman with a lute” from circa 1662 to 1664, and “The Concert” from 1664.
This painting, often ascribed as one of Vermeer’s finest, remained within his personal home until his death in 1675. When he died at just 43 years of age from an unknown illness, he left his family in debt. They were forced to sell his art to pay off those debts.
“A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman” was part of a larger art collection that was sold in its entirety through the ownership of several collectors, until 1762, when the collection was bought by King George III of England. At that time, it was believed to have been painted by Frans van Mieris the Elder and was not identified as a painting by Vermeer until 1866.
“A Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman” is currently on display at Buckingham Palace, in London, England as part of the Royal Collection Trust.
For more on Johannes Vermeer, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
