"the sitter’s expert grasp of his instrument indicates his familiarity with it, but his identity remains unknown. It seems to be a portrait of a professional musician and was long thought to be a likeness of jacob gaultier, a famous french musician who worked as first lutenist at the court of english king charles i between 1617 and 1647. However, known images of that musician show a more corpulent figure with abundant curly hair, unlike van dyck’s model here. Moreover, the presence of the instrument does not necessarily imply that he was a professional musician. Allusions to music were customary in many baroque portraits as signs of distinction and intellectual refinement, making the instrument a quintessential courtly symbol. Here, the sitter may be a young bourgeois or aristocrat who projects his distinguished social position through his mastery of the lute, an object associated with a refined and cultured lifestyle. Note the presence of a sword hanging from his belt, which would indicate a status somewhat above than that of a simple musician. " [1]. Object Type: painting. Genre: portrait. Date: between circa 1622 and circa 1632 / circa 1627. Dimensions: height: 128.7 cm (50.6 in) ; width: 101 cm (39.7 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Museo del Prado. Anthonis Van Dyck - Man with a Lute
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