
The Strolling Musicians
<p>In this cozy scene, two humble street performers serenade a peasant family with a hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes, instruments long associated with folk music and itinerant musicians. The older man cranks the wheel of the hurdy-gurdy, which functions like a mechanized fiddle, while playing the instrument’s keyboard. The younger man produces a melody by fingering the holes on the bagpipe’s lower pipe while the two upper pipes play single continuous bass notes. Their tune has elicited a mixed response: the small child smiles gleefully, while the little terrier huddles in fear.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1630
- Dimensions
- Plate/image: 13.9 × 11.6 cm (5 1/2 × 4 5/8 in.); Sheet: 14.1 × 17.1 cm (5 9/16 × 6 3/4 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
Artist
More
More by Rembrandt van Rijn

Joseph's Coat Brought to Jacob
1763 · Etching in black on ivory wove paper

Final Published Work: Head of Menem Ben Israel
1740 · Charcoal, with stumping, heightened with traces of white chalk, on blue laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper

Rembrandt with a Plumed Hat
1700 · Black crayon, with stumping, with pen and black ink, on tan laid paper

Jan Antonides van der Linden
1665 · etching, drypoint and burin

Lucretia
1664 · oil on canvas

Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse
1663 · Oil on canvas
Record
Verified by Watts Index- Artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Year
- 1630
- Dimensions
- Plate/image: 13.9 × 11.6 cm (5 1/2 × 4 5/8 in.); Sheet: 14.1 × 17.1 cm (5 9/16 × 6 3/4 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1630-043124
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified
