Lombard School, second half of the 17th century

These unusual portraits depict a pair of children in resplendent Italian dress and lace of the late-seventeenth century. It is likely that they were conceived as allegories of concord and discord. In the first picture the young duo appear facing each other gathered around a small virginal. The painted Venus on the instrument's lid and the prominent 'A' for Amor (?) on the music notation, not to mention the appearance of a red rose, is suggestive of the associations of musical harmony with that of love. Decorative details too, including the interlocking guilloche pattern on the instrument, further reinforce notions of a strong union. The second portrait shows a decidedly different atmosphere. Here the boy and girl stand apart, almost facing opposite directions, and carry markedly unimpressed expressions on their faces. The unity and harmony of the first picture has evaporated. Striking a balance between the serious and comedic, this pair of paintings are rare and fascinating examples of musical allegorical portraits of the period.

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