Evaristo Baschenis (1617-1677), the preeminent still life painter of 17th-century Italy, is best known for his hauntingly poetic paintings of musical instruments. Although largely unfamiliar to American audiences, these lyrical masterpieces of composition and color harmony combine baroque splendor with a masterful, restrained geometry. Their quality has led to comparisons with the paintings of Chardin and Vermeer.

This work is typical of Baschenis, who almost single-handedly inventing a genre that was to flourish in the hands of followers into the following century. During the 17th century it was not unusual for master artists to operate in “circles” with other artists. In the case of Baschenis, this may have been linked to servicing the needs of important patrons in Venice, Milan and Mantua. In such Circles, it was usual practice for the master artist to have a hand in the production of artworks, if not the whole piece.