1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Concert with Nine Persons is a 1650 ink by Wallerant Vaillant, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows nine people in a dimly lit room, gathered around a table. Two women in flowing dresses sit on the floor, while others stand or kneel, playing stringed instruments or holding books. Heavy curtains frame the scene, and the lighting creates deep shadows on the faces and fabrics. The artist used shading to make the figures look three-dimensional, focusing light on the central woman’s face. This technique was a key way Baroque artists added drama to their work. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works in other famous art.
Wallerant Vaillant (30 May 1623 – 28 August 1677) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age and one of the first artists to use the mezzotint technique, which he probably helped to develop.
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