A Woman singing and a Man with a Cittern
- Artist: Godfried Schalcken
- Date: about 1665-70
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "A Woman singing and a Man with a Cittern" painted by Godfried Schalcken.
The couple sits close, deeply comfortable in each other's presence. You can see the harmony between them even in their mirrored body language - each has one hand raised and the other lowered. However, when you look at the young woman, she seems slightly embarrassed or even guilty. Her reaction to your gaze is almost as if she's been caught off guard.
Look closely at the painting behind them - it's hard to make out, but you can just see a pair of naked legs in it. This suggests that the artist may be implying something about their relationship. The woman's dress and coat are beautifully depicted, with lots of attention paid to the sensuous textures of the fabrics. Her bare arms, neck, and cleavage also draw your eye.
The pink rose on the table is a clear signal of romantic love. And while her partner seems absorbed in adjusting his cittern, it's possible that he's noticed all this too.
This painting would have been right at home in 17th-century Holland, where scenes of music making were very popular. They often had ambiguous or uncertain themes, reflecting the real-life potential for flirtation and casual relationships at social gatherings.
The artist has used a stylised background with a massive column and swagged curtain to create an artificial setting. This is a deliberate choice, and one that adds to the sense of artifice in the painting.
See it in person
A Woman singing and a Man with a Cittern 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.
