Allegory of Music 1649

"Allegory of Music" (1649) by Laurent de La Hyre (1606-1656) is a beautiful example of Baroque-era allegory. A young woman, dressed in sumptuous drapery, is seated in a grand room playing a theorbo, a type of lute. The meticulously rendered details, including sheet music, a violin, and a flute, suggest the importance of music in 17th-century French culture. The painting is a testament to La Hyre’s skill as a painter and his ability to capture the essence of music through visual means. This work is currently located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.