Vermeer and Music at the National Gallery

Watch our audio slideshow of paintings by Vermeer accompanied by music of his time

Published: May 3, 2013 at 2:21 pm

From 26 June the National Gallery hosts an exhibition of works by the Dutch painter Vermeer called Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure.

The exhibition explores depictions of music making in the 17th century through paintings of musicians alongside a display of rare early instruments.

But there's an extra dimension to the exhibition: three days a week musicians from the Academy of Ancient Music will perform 17th-century music in the gallery.

We've put together a taster of some of the paintings on display, with a soundtrack of music written around the 1600s in this audio slideshow. For details about the paintings and the music, see below.

For more information and to buy tickets visit the National Gallery's website.

Picture information:

The Concert, Hendrick ter Brugghen, © The National Gallery, London

The Guitar Player, Johannes Vermeer, © English Heritage

A Musical Party in a Courtyard, Pieter de Hooch, © The National Gallery, London

A Musical Party, Jacob van Velsen, © The National Gallery, London

A Woman Playing a Clavichord, Gerrit Dou, © By Permission of the Trustees of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London

A Young Man Playing a Theorbo and a Young Woman Playing A Cittern, Jan Molenaer, © The National Gallery, London

A Young Woman Playing a Harpsichord to a Young Man, Jan Steen, © The National Gallery, London

A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer, © The National Gallery, London

A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer, © The National Gallery, London

A Man and a Woman Seated by a Virginal, Gabriel Metsu, © The National Gallery, London

A Man Playing a Lute, Hendrick ter Brugghen, © The National Gallery, London

The Music Lesson, Johannes Vermeer, © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013

Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer, © Photo courtesy of the owner

Music:

Symphonia à 2 by Nicolaus a Kempis from Bellissimo Splendore: Early 17th-Century Music at the Court of Brussels on the Ricercar label, performed by La Cacciatore and Patrick Denecker

Suite in A major, III. Ballo by Johann Vierdanck

Sonata No. 6 in D minor, V. Grave – Allegro and VI. Canzona. Vivace – Adagio by Carolus Hacquart, all from The Trio Sonata in 17th-Century Germany on the BIS label performed by London Baroque and

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