Standing Musician

Mariano Fortuny Marsal

1870

gouache

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

About this work

A man stands in a dim corner, playing a small guitar. His red vest and striped socks peek out from under a dark coat. A feathered hat sits crooked on his head, and his fingers move over the strings. The paint looks soft, almost like watercolors. The edges of the paper are worn, showing the age of the work. Next, check out watercolor to see how artists use thin, see-through layers to build up colors.