The Duet 1624

Gerard van Honthorst's "The Duet" (1624) depicts a man and a woman singing together in a dimly lit room. The man, dressed in a fur-trimmed coat and hat, holds a candle and a book, while the woman, wearing a low-cut dress, appears to be singing. The dramatic use of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, is a characteristic of Honthorst's style, which was influenced by Caravaggio. The scene evokes a sense of intimacy and the joy of music-making, a popular theme in Dutch Golden Age art.