Artwork
The Concert
The Concert is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Mattia Preti. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Mattia Preti’s oil painting titled The Concert was executed around 1630. The work is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. It presents a small, intimate ensemble of three musicians rendered against a dark backdrop, illuminated by a warm, subdued light that brings the figures into relief.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a woman holding a fan while appearing to sing, accompanied by two male musicians—one playing a lute and the other a flute. The arrangement suggests a private musical gathering, emphasizing the harmonious interaction between voice and instruments and the social role of music as a cultured pastime in the early seventeenth century.
Technique & Style
Preti employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, using a soft golden glow to separate them from the shadowy background and to suggest three‑dimensional volume. The painter’s careful rendering of fabric folds, the delicate tension of lute strings, and the subtle facial expressions reflect the Baroque interest in realism, drama, and emotional presence.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1630, The Concert entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings at an unspecified later date, where it remains on display. Its presence in the museum’s Baroque collection provides insight into Preti’s oeuvre and the diffusion of Italian Baroque painting across European collections.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
