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Hendrick ter Brugghen, 'A Man playing a Lute', 1624

About the work

Overview

Ter Brugghen focusses on a lute player lost in his art, drawing us close to the man by using strong, dramatic lighting to highlight the folds under his eyes, the long shadows of his fingers and his shiny red nose – so red that ter Brugghen may have been exaggerating for comic effect. Perhaps he was suggesting that the man had a few glasses of wine before launching into song. All this makes the player seem more real, as though he is singing directly to us.

Pictures of single musicians painted half-length were a particular specialism of a group of painters based in Utrecht in the 1620s. They were know as the ‘Dutch Caravaggists’ because they had lived and studied in Rome and were heavily influenced by the distinctive, dramatic style of Caravaggio and his followers.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A Man playing a Lute
Artist dates
1588 - 1629
Date made
1624
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
100.5 × 78.7 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1963
Inventory number
NG6347
Location
Room 24
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
17th-century Flemish Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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