The Musicians
1597 · Oil on canvas · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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About this work
- Artist
- Caravaggio (1571–1610)
- Year
- 1597
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 92.1 × 118.4 cm
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Movement
- Baroque
Four boys in loose classical draperies tune a lute, read music, hold a cornett and, at the far left with wings and a quiver, pick grapes: a concert being prepared, with Cupid as its presiding spirit. Caravaggio painted it around 1597 for Cardinal del Monte, a passionate musician, soon after entering his household, and the lute player at the centre is thought to be his companion Mario Minniti, while the boy with the cornett looking out at the viewer may be the painter himself. The picture was long lost, turned up in England in 1952 and was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1952; it had suffered and was heavily restored. Its warm flesh, white cloth and red silk make it the gentlest of his early works, an allegory of music that is also a portrait of a circle of friends.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
Four boys in white and red tuning lutes and reading music in warm ochre light, for a music room, living room or study at 24×18 in black. Cream, olive or deep red walls suit the warmth; pair it with The Lute Player.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Baroque painting
- Era
- 16th century (1597)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- living room, study or library, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×18. Prints at 16×12, 24×18 in — 16×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×18 above a console or sideboard.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is The Musicians in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was The Musicians painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
