1663 (ca.), Johannes Vermeer, Young Woman with a Lute -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: A young woman glances out a window while tuning her lute. Open songbooks and a viola da gamba on the floor indicate that she is preparing for a duet. Wealthy young people in the Dutch Republic studied music as part of their education, and amateur concerts provided a welcome opportunity for flirtation. The map of Europe in the background reflects the decoration of Dutch homes at the time, a sign of pride in the nation's preeminence in navigation and cartography.
Link to other Vermeer paintings
1663 (ca.), Johannes Vermeer, Young Woman with a Lute -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: A young woman glances out a window while tuning her lute. Open songbooks and a viola da gamba on the floor indicate that she is preparing for a duet. Wealthy young people in the Dutch Republic studied music as part of their education, and amateur concerts provided a welcome opportunity for flirtation. The map of Europe in the background reflects the decoration of Dutch homes at the time, a sign of pride in the nation's preeminence in navigation and cartography.
Link to other Vermeer paintings