Lady at a Virginal

A lady plays a virginal—the small keyboard instrument popular in Dutch households—in this 1660 painting at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Virginals and other keyboard instruments appear frequently in Dutch painting, their associations ranging from domestic accomplishment to romantic availability, depending on context. Vermeer"s famous Music Lesson treats a similar subject, and Metsu"s version offers a parallel exploration of music, light, and female solitude.

The virginal"s decorated case and the player"s rich costume create a composition of varied textures and surfaces that Metsu renders with his characteristic precision. The light falls from the left, modeling the figure and catching the instrument"s ornamental panels. The palette is luminous, with the warm wood of the virginal contrasting with the cooler tones of the woman"s silk dress. Metsu"s handling of the instrument"s surface shows his ability to suggest the sheen and grain of polished wood.