The Lute Player and the Harpist, ca. 1490

About the Work

The exact meaning of this house concert remains unclear. The palatial room as well as the woman's headdress could indicate chivalric ‘courtly love’, while the music-making could imply ‘harmony’. Yet, the man’s direct gaze and the sword dangling sloppily between his legs could also indicate sexual desire. Contemporary audiences could also have understood the locked cassette and the open lute case on the floor as sexual innuendos.