JAN VERMEER OF DELFT (1632-1675) THE MUSIC LESSON Canvas, 17 3/4 inches by 15 3/8 inches IN the left-hand corner of a room sits a comely girl in a red jacket, white cap and blue skirt, holding a sheet of paper, apparently music. She is in profile to the right, but turns her head to the spectator. A man in a bluish-gray cloak, without a hat, steps toward her, lays his left hand on a chair and grasps the sheet of paper with his right. On the table are a mandolin, a musicbook, a blue China jug and a glass of wine. In front of the table is a chair with a dark blue cushion; behind the table is another chair. To the left is a window which is much foreshortened. Near it a bird-cage has been painted in by a later hand. On the back wall hangs a picture, almost square in shape, representing the Cupid standing, which appears also in the National Gallery picture (1906 catalogue, No. 1383). This picture of a cupid became visible when the work was cleaned. Its place was formerly occupied by a violin and bow, noticed in the catalog of the Smeeth van Alphen sale of 1810. There are many blue tones; even the piece of music is printed in blue and there are blue shadings on the red window frame." —Quoted from De Groot.

Mentioned in H. Harvard's "Ver Meer of Delft." Mentioned in Chas. H. Caffin's "Story of Dutch Painting." Reproduced in Hofstede de Groot's "Jan Vermeer of Delft." Illustrated in Burlington Magazine, XVI., 244. Exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1900. Collection of P. de Smeth Van Alphen, Amsterdam, 1810. Collection of H. Croese, Amsterdam, 1811. Collection of C. S. Roos, Amsterdam, 1820. Collection of Lewis Fry, Clifton, Bristol.

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