Who painted A Woman Playing a Lute?

A Woman Playing a Lute was painted by Frans van Mieris the Elder in 1663-01-01.

Where can I see A Woman Playing a Lute?

A Woman Playing a Lute is held by Alte Pinakothek.

What movement is A Woman Playing a Lute?

A Woman Playing a Lute is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of A Woman Playing a Lute?

Museum-quality prints of A Woman Playing a Lute are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

A Woman Playing a Lute by Frans van Mieris the Elder (1663)

About this work

Technique & Style

It depicts a woman playing a lute with a theorbo, rendered in fine detail characteristic of the fijnschilder tradition.

The artwork is an oil painting executed on panel, reflecting 17th-century Dutch genre scene practice. It depicts a woman playing a lute with a theorbo, rendered in fine detail characteristic of the fijnschilder tradition. The composition emphasizes intimate interior space and textural precision in fabric and instrument surfaces.

Formal analysis notes the restrained palette and careful modeling of light across the figure and wooden panel support.

The work measures 33.7 cm in height and 29.2 cm in width, consistent with small-scale cabinet paintings of the period. Its condition appears stable, with no documented alterations to the original medium or support. The painting’s stylistic qualities align with Frans van Mieris the Elder’s mastery of genre subjects, particularly in the nuanced rendering of domestic interiors and material textures.

History & Provenance

Frans van Mieris the Elder painted A Woman Playing a Lute in 1663. The work was executed in oil on panel, measuring 33.7 × 29.2 cm according to one record (though another cites 22.2 × 17.1 cm). The painting entered the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland in 2005, when it was accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and subsequently allocated to the institution.

It is now held at the Scottish National Gallery. The work was included in the exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry.

A Woman Playing a Lute by Frans van Mieris the Elder is held by the Scottish National Gallery, part of the National Galleries of Scotland. Its accession number is NG 2795. The painting entered the collection in 2005, when it was accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the National Galleries of Scotland.

The work has been exhibited as part of "Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting. Inspiration and Rivalry," a touring exhibition focused on seventeenth-century Dutch genre painters.

Context

Frans van Mieris the Elder painted A Woman Playing a Lute in 1663, a genre scene rendered in oil on panel measuring 33.7 by 29.2 centimetres. The work entered the National Galleries Scotland collection through acceptance in lieu of inheritance tax in 2005 and is catalogued as NG 2795. It has been featured in the exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry, underscoring its role within Dutch Golden Age genre painting and the artist's broader oeuvre of interior scenes.

Legacy

Later scholarship notes that A Woman Playing a Lute has been frequently reproduced in exhibitions and publications focusing on Dutch Golden Age genre painting, underscoring its role in shaping scholarly discourse on 17th-century domestic scenes. The work is included in major surveys of Dutch painting, influencing interpretations of gendered leisure activities in art historical narratives. Its presence in prominent institutions such as the National Galleries of Scotland and its inclusion in comparative studies with contemporaries like Vermeer highlight its enduring relevance in art historical curricula and critical analyses of gender representation.

Overview

Frans van Mieris the Elder painted A Woman Playing a Lute in 1663. Executed in oil on canvas, the work depicts a solitary female figure absorbed in music. The painting is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and exemplifies the refined genre scenes typical of the Dutch Golden Age.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a young woman seated on a chair, her dark hair gathered and her gaze directed downward as she engages a lute‑like instrument, likely a theorbo. Her white and orange dress with a low neckline suggests a domestic, perhaps leisurely, setting where music serves as a genteel pastime.