Harpsichord

Unknown

late 17th century · Wood, paint, various materials · Musical Instruments

This harpsichord has three sets of unison strings, one of which is plucked at a point very close to the nut, producing a brighter timbre than the others. The mermaid holding one of the supporting columns is a device of the Colonna family. The painting inside the lid is a landscape that includes a hunter and his dog. On the lid above the keywell is a scene depicting Tobias and the angel Raphael. The conventionalized foliage and the aerial perspective are associated with the work of Gaspard Dughet, brother-in-law of Nicolas Poussin, who painted chiefly in Rome. Technical description: Inner-outer case, inner of cypress or cedar with spruce or fir soundboard, present compass AA-c3, 3x8', probably enlarged from C/E-c3 2x8'; pin-block, nuts and registers possibly not original; interior much altered; in painted outer case on 3 columnar legs, front 2 supporting crowned mermaid, signia of the Colonna family.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 17th century

Medium

Wood, paint, various materials

Culture

Italian

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1945