Singing Couple and Violin 1610 - 1685

Editor: This is Adriaen van Ostade’s “Singing Couple and Violin,” created sometime between 1610 and 1685. It’s a print, and the scene has a definite folksy vibe. It seems like an everyday scene of people enjoying music, but there is a hint of satire, maybe? What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, Ostade! He's like a mischievous wink from the Dutch Golden Age. I see a snapshot of boisterous conviviality, but also perhaps a gentle nudge at the vanities and simple pleasures of life. Note the details. A humble interior is depicted with careful artistry. The lighting guides our eyes across each face, and even though the faces have character, there's almost a caricature quality to them. Editor: Yes, the man on the right looks rather pleased with himself, while his companions seem preoccupied. The jug on the floor indicates that this is some kind of low brow social gathering, a bar maybe? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe it’s someone's home. These settings become theaters, almost moral stages where we see the joys and failings of ordinary life play out. Consider the contrast: The violinist lost in the melody while the woman studies her book, and the flutist looks positively giddy! It hints that their harmonies are not so congruent; everyone is a little bit out of sync. I wonder, is Ostade painting an ironic image of making music or just a painting about making do? Editor: It makes me think about the importance of finding joy in everyday life. Perhaps we shouldn't judge them at all! Curator: Precisely! Each detail serves as a note in the broader composition of human experience. Perhaps he shows us that art can bring a chuckle even as it reflects something universally familiar, like the simple joys that bring us all together, even if our songs are off key!