Querulas praetentat pollice cordas (The Lute Player)

Johann Bernard after Orazio Gentileschi (formerly Caravaggio)

National Gallery of Art

The image shows an upper-body view of a seated person turned slightly toward the viewer. She is positioned leaning forward with her right elbow resting on a table and her left hand holding the neck of a lute above her head. Her facial features are gentle, with a soft profile. She has light hair styled in loose curls and intricately braided at the back. She is wearing a white, long-sleeved blouse with puffed sleeves beneath a sleeveless dress and a flowing skirt. The skirt and dress are richly detailed with folds and textures. In front of her on the table is an open book and a violin partially visible, along with a few other indistinct objects. The background is dark and plain.