Vihuelist performing romances
(1525/ca) - Current whereabouts unknown
instrument: vihuela de mano | century: 16cent/1/early | catalogue nº: 16-128
Artwork
Creator anon
Medium Artwork: Woodcut
Location
City Barcelona | Region Catalonia | Old kingdom Aragon
Characteristics
| Body Waisted | Strings 5 strings | Neck Long | Pegbox None |
| Bridge Fixed | Frets Yes | Back Flat | Pegs None |
| Technique Plucked fingers thumb out |
Commentary
ARTWORK
Woodcut on the title page of Libro en el qual se contienen cincuenta romances con sus villancicos y desechas, Barcelona c. 1525. The same woodcut was used on a broadsheet printed by Carles Amorós, Barcelona, n.d. [c.1525]. The vihuela is clearly based on the one depicted in the Vocabolari Catalan of 1502 [16-113].
INSTRUMENT
Depiucted with five strings, it is easier to group this instrument into the generic family of vihuelas rather than to attempt to distinguish it as either a vihuela or a guitar. It is typical of depictions from the first half of the q6th century.
The vihuelist appears to be accompanying a lady who is depicted with her mouth open, singing. The composition of the print, however, shows that each of the two figures is a separate block, and may not have been intended originally to be placed together. The vihuelist is clothed as a gentleman with a hat with a plume, and a long cape over a tunic. The pegbox of the vihuela is not shown. The vihuela appears to be flatbacked, and shallow. Its two bouts are approximately equal width, abd has a fixed bridge and a rosette placed above the centre of the upper bout. The neck is long and incomplete.
IMAGE
Source unknown. Copied from Wikimedia commons. Public Domain
Reproductions
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portadaromancero.jpg
