This is a very mysterious painting.The image can be interpreted as an admonition to praise God with singing and music-making, but also as a risqué scene of seduction. The young woman’s gaudy garments and red shoes are in questionable taste, and the old woman looks suspiciously like a procuress. Perhaps the painting contains a warning against immoral conduct. It is one of the early Rembrandt's works. The artist was only 20 years old when he finished it. Despite the young age, even here Rembrandt's genius for representing human character and emotion and for packing in amazing amounts of detail into the briefest of brushstrokes can be visible. Thanks to these skills he became one of the most celebrated artists of all time.
See you tomorrow!
Zuzanna
Musical Company
oil on canvas • 64 x 48 cm
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Rembrandt van Rijn