Artwork
Tuning the lute
Tuning the lute is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Frans van Mieris the Elder. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Frans van Mieris the Elder, a noted Dutch Golden Age painter, completed the oil painting *Tuning the Lute* in 1665. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s focus on intimate domestic scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a solitary woman in a red dress seated in a dimly lit interior, carefully adjusting the strings of a small lute. A solitary candle on a nearby table provides a warm illumination that highlights her face and hands, emphasizing the quiet concentration of the moment.
Technique & Style
Van Mieris employs a pronounced chiaroscuro effect, using strong contrasts between light and shadow to isolate the figure from the dark background. The delicate rendering of the candlelight and the subtle textures of the lute and fabric demonstrate his meticulous brushwork and attention to detail.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑seventeenth century, the painting remained in private hands before entering the Rijksmuseum’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of Dutch genre painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans van Mieris the Elder (16 April 1635 – 12 March 1681), was a Dutch Golden Age genre and portrait painter.
