Femme Acoordant Son Luth 1624

"Femme Accordant Son Luth" (Woman Tuning Her Lute), painted by Gerard van Honthorst in 1624, depicts a woman in a richly-colored, almost theatrical, costume, tuning her lute. The woman's animated expression, with her mouth open and eyes looking upwards, adds to the dramatic flair of the piece, highlighting a popular genre of the 17th century known as "genre painting." Van Honthorst, known for his mastery of chiaroscuro, utilizes dramatic lighting to illuminate his subjects, creating a sense of intimacy and intrigue, characteristic of his work.