Young flute player by lamplight (with two recorders on the wall)

Young Flute Player by Lamplight from 1635 by Judith Leyster is another of her candlelit musical scenes, depicting a youth playing a recorder by the light of a lamp. The artificial light allowed Leyster to create dramatic effects that elevated the humble genre subject. Leyster's musical subjects connect to the allegorical tradition of sound as one of the five senses, animated by her characteristic warm candlelight and direct informal characterization. Her musical figures often double as images...

The lamplight creates a warm pool of illumination around the musician, with strong contrasts of light and shadow rendered in Leyster's bold, fluid technique.