작품 상세

Red chalk and grey wash on laid paper showing a female ona terrace , framed by columns and draped curtains, with a view opening toward a landscaped garden in the background. The figure is surrounded by putti, one of whom holds a lyre, while another offers a set of scales, attributes that may allude to Harmony and Justice. To the left, a bearded male . This drawing is reminiscent of the freer preparatory sketches or design proposals made by Dutch draughtsmen of the late 17th, early 18th centuries. The use of red chalk with grey wash creates a harmonic balance between figure work and atmospheric depth. The presence of musical attributes (lyre) and putti implies an allegory of the arts or muses. The attribution to Houbraken is based on stylistic grounds and supported by the annotation 'A Houbraken' on the mat. It is also on laid paper with a larger fools head with bell's watermark and the support sheet has a watermark of the Dutch Virgin in the Garden.