Lyre before 1828

This drawing of a lyre was made by Pierre Félix van Doren, likely as a study for a more realized artwork. It is rendered in pencil on paper, a relatively accessible medium. The very directness of the pencil lets us engage with the artist’s process. The drawing seems to be a study in instrument design, and conveys the way in which the lyre would have been crafted, carved and strung. The circular guidelines suggest that the lyre may have been intended as a decorative addition to a larger design, possibly a plate. Consider the contrast between the relative ease with which this sketch was produced and the complexity of the history it evokes. It is a material record of imagination and labor. By understanding the labor involved in its creation, and how it was designed, we can appreciate its complexity.