# The Musicians

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/the-musicians-rb978392b94cd15>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [CARAVAGGIO](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7>)
- Date: 1551-1600
- Technique: Oil on canvas, 92 x 118,5 cm

## Commentary

The two figures seen frontally are undoubtably portraits, and this fact disorients those who would like to make a conventional reading of the scene and concentrate on the noble, classical character of the composition, organized around the traditional opposition between the figure of the lute player and the corresponding figure whom we see from behind. The face between these two is Caravaggio&#39;s; the figure on the left is taken from an earlier composition \(Young Peeling a Pear\) which we know only from copies. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 2 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/17\_cent/weelkes\_madrigal.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;Thomas Weelkes: Madrigal \(Springtime Song\)&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [Adoration of the Shepherds](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/adoration-of-the-shepherds-r00f596d06ccb76>)
- [Amor Victorious \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/amor-victorious-detail-r7fc57933eeb070>)
- [Amor Victorious](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/amor-victorious-rfc7120f208bdbb>)
- [Bacchus \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/bacchus-detail-r8774eedb1acdb1>)
- [Bacchus \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/bacchus-detail-rfe80e05f9bef36>)
- [Bacchus](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/bacchus-re85963ede2d88d>)
- [Basket of Fruit](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/basket-of-fruit-re99b55e247b7b9>)
- [Beheading of Saint John the Baptist \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/beheading-of-saint-john-the-baptist-detail-r0f292c31f1b0b3>)
- [Beheading of Saint John the Baptist \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/beheading-of-saint-john-the-baptist-detail-r72c46c400ae03c>)
- [Beheading of Saint John the Baptist \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/beheading-of-saint-john-the-baptist-detail-r851b7fe163ad11>)
- [Beheading of Saint John the Baptist](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/beheading-of-saint-john-the-baptist-r2876dfa8814a65>)
- [Boy Bitten by a Lizard \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/caravaggio-r877ee03cc951f7/boy-bitten-by-a-lizard-detail-r25173f3478e90a>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)