Music 1620 - 1650

Editor: This engraving, "Music" by Gilles Rousselet, dates from somewhere between 1620 and 1650. The woman seems so self-possessed. There's this almost palpable light streaming through the window that draws the eye and contrasts with the formality of the setting. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: What strikes me? It’s the serene authority she emanates amidst all the very precise lines of the engraving. Remember, prints like these weren’t just art. They were mass media, conveying ideas, styles, sometimes even gossip. Now, what's she holding there? Is that music or is it a missive? Look at the lyrics at the bottom of the image – they speak of offering solace and a balm to troubled spirits. This elevates music to more than just a simple pursuit. Editor: It looks like sheet music to me. But the way she's positioned, bathed in light, does give it this sort of almost angelic quality, like she’s channeling something divine through her lute playing. So, the engraving is saying something about music's power? Curator: Precisely. It is more than just a pretty melody; in its time, it was a remedy, a link to the divine, and almost certainly something fashionable within courtly love circles! Is it working for you? Do you feel somehow lifted? Editor: Absolutely! The idea of music as medicine, something that elevates and heals – that’s an inspiring thought to carry forward. It's a welcome new interpretation, to see music as not only aesthetic but functional and transcendent. Curator: Right? Next time you listen, try to discern where and how music elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary.