A Woman seated at a Table and a Man tuning a Violin
- Artist: Gabriel Metsu
- Date: about 1658
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Woman seated at a Table and a Man tuning a Violin" painted in the Dutch tradition by Gabriel Metsu. Made around 1658, it's an oil on canvas work. The painting shows a woman sitting at a table with a musical score resting on her lap and in front of her. Her companion or teacher is tuning his violin in the background, while catching our eye with an inscrutable stare.
The woman herself has a dreamy expression on her face, looking up at a mirror propped on the window sill. It's not clear whether she's concentrating on the music, memorising a phrase, or singing softly to herself. The role of the violinist is central to how this painting would have been understood 400 years ago.
These kinds of scenes were common in Dutch seventeenth-century painting, reflecting popular activities in sophisticated society. They might symbolise harmony in family life or friendship groups, but they could also hint at romantic interest or even erotic undertones.
See it in person
A Woman seated at a Table and a Man tuning a Violin hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
