# The Musician [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [HELST, Bartholomeus van der]() - Date: 1601-1650 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 118 x 111 cm ## Commentary In style and execution this painting is a typical work of Bartholomeus van der Helst's mature years. The woman tunes a theorbo-lute, and a viola da gamba rests in front of her. Some scholars have considered the picture to be an allegory or personification of music. Later writers have treated the painting as a genre scene, comparing works by Gerrit Dou, Johannes Vermeer, and other contemporary artists. The picture is very close in date and in its main motifs to Vermeer's <a onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/v/vermeer/03a/17lute.html'\)" href="/html/v/vermeer/03a/17lute.html">Woman with a Lute near a Window.</a> However, it was also suggested that the artist's wife, Anna du Pire might have served as a model for the Musician. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 14 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/18\_cent/handel\_theorbo.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>George Frideric Handel: Concerto for harp, lute and theorbo in B flat major</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [Abraham del Court and Maria de Keersegieter]() - [Anna du Pire as Granida]() - [Celebration of the Peace of Münster, 1648, at the Crossbowmen's Headquarters \(detail\)]() - [Celebration of the Peace of Münster, 1648, at the Crossbowmen's Headquarters]() - [Pieter Lucaszn van de Venne with Anna de Carpentier and Child]() - [Portrait of a Family]() - [Portrait of a Gentleman]() - [Portrait of a Lady]() - [Portrait of a Lady]() - [Portrait of a Man]() - [Portrait of Gideon de Wildt]() - [Regents of the Walloon Orphanage]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()