Creator Piazza, Calisto

Medium Artwork: Painting

City Lodi | Region Italy | Old kingdom Italy

ARTWORK
Oil on wood, 90.5 x 90.5 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (PA), inv. 234, John G. Johnson Collection
The full painting shows an ensemble of musicians playing together: one or two singers, 2 treble recorders, lute and vihuela de arco. The URL in the Philadelphia Museum of Art is https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/101984.html

INSTRUMENT
Together with the lute it is clear that this is a realistic depiction. The vihuela de arco is representative of the Spanish inspired instruments now flourishing in Italy. It is wide of body with deeply cornered waists, an arched bridge and C-holes. It is an early example of an instrument with a raised fingerboard. It has six strings and is played with a bow held with an underhand grip, even though the instrument is being played in a more horizontal than vertical position.