Music Has Charms to Soothe the Savage Breast 1786

"Music Has Charms to Soothe the Savage Breast" is a satirical hand-colored etching by T. Smith created in 1786. The artwork portrays a man, likely a patron of the arts, soundly asleep during a musical performance. The woman, presumably the musician, looks on with a humorous expression. This print satirizes the indifference of some audiences to musical performances. The artwork, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a glimpse into the social and cultural world of 18th-century England, through the lens of humor and satire. The piece's title, a play on words, emphasizes the irony of the situation. The artwork is a testament to the enduring power of satire as a means of social commentary.