Delft polychrome large figure of a lady with a string instrument and a litt

Delft polychrome large figure of a lady with a string instrument and a little dog, circa 1760

This Delft polychrome figure portrays an elegantly dressed lady playing a string instrument, her head gently tilted back as if she has just begun to sing, while a small dog stands faithfully at her side. The composition belongs to a charming series of four musical figures, which together include a lady lutanist, a male violinist and a male flautist, evoking a lively eighteenth-century musical ensemble. The present figure, with its rich palette and animated posture, beautifully captures the grace and refinement associated with Delft earthenware of this period.
The instrument in her hands has long raised questions of identification. It is clearly too large to be a violin or a viola, yet too small to be a cello, and its outline does not correspond to that of a guitar or a mandolin. For this reason, the most plausible identification is a viola da gamba, an instrument that likely originated in Spain in the second half of the fifteenth century and enjoyed great popularity during the Renaissance, remaining in use well into the eighteenth century. In this context, the choice of instrument would have been entirely appropriate for a refined, musically accomplished lady.
However, several details do not perfectly match the historical form of a viola da gamba. Traditionally, a viola da gamba is strung with six or seven strings, rather than the four indicated here, its neck typically curves slightly forward instead of backward, and the sound holes in the body are characteristically c-shaped rather than f-shaped. These discrepancies suggest that the Delft sculptor and painter exercised a degree of artistic licence, focusing more on the overall effect of a fashionable, sophisticated instrument than on strict anatomical accuracy. Only the general proportions and silhouette of the body convincingly recall the viola da gamba, indicating that the sculptor was inspired by this type while freely adapting its details to suit the decorative and narrative aims of the figure.