The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy
1851
oil
From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts Boston
1851
oil
From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts Boston
The painting depicts a young boy holding a hurdy-gurdy, a stringed instrument. He is dressed in a red jacket with gold trim and a white shirt, and has dark hair. The background is a wall with a tree branch on the right side. The boy's facial expression is neutral, and he appears to be looking down at the instrument. The overall atmosphere of the painting is quiet and contemplative. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects and figures, look up William Morris Hunt.
