"Lady with Virginal and Gentleman" or "The Music Lesson" by Johannes Vermeer represents a painting of a young female student during a music lesson with a gentleman.
Their relationship is neither precise nor clear in this painting. The composition uses perspective to draw the eye to the figures in front of the virginal.
The virginal is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family and was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque period. See more
The composition is dominated by the covered table, chair and violin bass in the foreground. Light streaming through the windows fills the room and casts soft, subtle shadows.
The composition includes a mirror on the wall where the blurred reflections have the young woman's face, part of the table and the legs of an artist's easel. To add to the mystery, the inscription on the lid of the virginal reads:
"Music is a companion in pleasure and a balm in sorrow".