Jan Molenaer - A Young Man and Woman Making Music [c.1630-32]

Jan Molenaer - A Young Man and Woman Making Music [c.1630-32], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The duet played by the couple may well refer to the harmony of true love, while the foot-warmer is usually interpreted as a symbol for the effort a man has to make in order to gain a woman's love. The portrait in the right background is in the style of Michiel van Miereveld (1567-1641), and is probably of Prince Frederik Henrik of Orange (1584-1647), who became Stadholder of the Dutch Republic in 1625.

[Oil on canvas, 68 x 84 cm]

Jan Molenaer - Two Boys and a Girl making Music [1629]

Jan Molenaer - Two Boys and a Girl making Music [1629], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The subject of children making music celebrates the carefree pleasures of youth. The boy on the left is playing a violin, and the one on the right a rommelpot (rumbling pot). The girl, who is wearing a soldier's gorget, beats an accompaniment with spoons on a helmet.

[Oil on canvas, 68.3 x 84.5 cm]