A Woman Playing the Theorbo-Lute and a Cavalier
The Met
Artist: Gerard ter Borch the Younger(Dutch, Zwolle 1617–1681 Deventer)
Date: ca. 1658
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: 14 1/2 x 12 3/4 in. (36.8 x 32.4 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A woman in a blue coat plays a lute, facing a man in armor leaning on a table.
Detailed Description
The painting depicts two figures in a dimly lit interior, with a woman seated on the left and a man leaning over a table on the right. The woman, positioned in the lower left quadrant, wears a bright blue coat with white fur trim over a white dress, and a pearl necklace. Her light brown hair is styled with a red ribbon, and she looks towards the man while playing a multi-stringed lute. Her left hand frets the strings on the long neck, and her right hand plucks the strings on the large, round body of the instrument. To the right, a man with long, reddish-brown hair leans forward, his gaze directed towards the woman or the table. He wears a light brown or tan jacket with horizontal ridges, possibly armor, over a white shirt with ruffled cuffs, and a dark skirt-like garment. His right hand rests on the patterned table. The table, covered with a richly patterned cloth in shades of red, orange, blue, and brown, occupies the lower center and right of the composition. On the table, an open book of sheet music with visible staves and notes is placed in front of the woman. Near the man's hand, a small blue ribbon and a dark, cylindrical object, possibly a pistol, are visible. The background is dark, featuring a light-colored, ornate architectural column or fireplace mantel on the left.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
