Tafelpiano 1789 - 1859

This delicate drawing, likely made in the early 19th century by Pieter de Goeje, shows a "tafelpiano," or table piano. Unlike a grand piano, which makes a statement, this kind of instrument was meant to blend into a domestic interior. What I find most compelling about it is the implied labor. The instrument would have been crafted mostly by hand, demanding many hours from instrument makers, cabinet makers, and metal workers, to name only a few. And of course, the music displayed upon it would have been notated by yet other hands. The light touch of the pencil, though, stands in marked contrast to that labor. De Goeje gives us a light and airy depiction of an object that would have been costly in its time. In doing so, he reminds us that the consumption of music was then – as now – a privilege, purchased at the cost of someone else's effort.