How to hold a lute: historical evidence from paintings

Looking at the three pages of lutenists
illustrated in the April issue of Early
Music (pp. 137-39). I was reminded that
artists have often unwittingly recorded
informal ion not available elsewhere
today.
This is specially true of the medieval
ROBERT SPENCER
lute, since no instrument or playing
method has survived. The artist tells us
thai it was not necessary to sit down in
order to play. Because the instrument
was not as big as the renaissance lute,
ihe player could support it against his
chesi with the right wrist under the
bridge. The left hand also supported
the neck as no ribbon is used around
the players' shoulders. The quill was
held between thumb and index finger,
but unlike modern pencil-holding, the
oilier end is steadied between index and
middle finger. (1)
About 1.500, many changes affected
the playing position. The lutenist
replaced the quill with thumb, index
and middle linger lips, often playing
more than one note at a time. The lute
acquired more strings, eleven or twelve
plaved as six, and it grew in size,
obliging the lutenist lo sit down.
The right forearm now presses the
line down onto thigh or even a table (as
eventually recommended bv Mace in
1676). (2)'
Even the ten course 17th-century lute
could be held in this way, (3 & 4)
The double-headed lute, with up to
twelve courses, was end-heavy, needing
more support, and we see the use of a
looi-warmer as a foot siool in the ter
Borch painting. (5)
Also on this lute we see a lace around
the edge of the sound-board. The lace
seems lo have been introduced in the
second quarter of the 17th-century, as
the number of strings increased. It
helped hold the glue joints of bellv to
ribs, and preserved the edge of the
sound-board from wear. But it seems to
me that it also provided a gripping
surlace against clothing, to prevent the
lute slipping while playing. How else
are we lo explain the playing position
/. Matteodi Giovanni, fl. 1452 d. 149"), detail
of Mouton with his French lute from The Assumption of the Virgin, c. 1474,
ljondon. National Gallery.
balanced precariously on his coat? (6)
2 Agoitino Carrara, 15 •> 7-1602, Man with a
There is another possible explanaLute, 1576, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts.
tion which I spotted recently in a
3 IJ Valentin, f>) 1591-1632, detail from The
painting by Mieris. (7) The two ivory
How to hold a lute: historical
evidence from paintings
Four Ages of Man, c. 7625, London, National
Gallery.
4. (') Peeler Franchoip, 1606-54, (?)Jacques
Gaultier, c. 1635. Baton, Museum of Fine Arts.
5. Gerard ter Borck, 1617-81, detailfrom
Woman playing a lute, c. 1670, London,
National Gallery.
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buttons on the back of the lute are
joined by a string on which are tied two
loops. I suggest these could be looped
over buttons on the player's coat or
dress to help support the lute. The
Victoria and Albert Museum has in its
collection a lute on which the two small
buttons are joined by a string, but no
loops.
The really end-heavy chitarrone was
supported by a band of material or
leather fixed to a wooden hook behind
and above the first peg-box. (8) The
band ran across the left shoulder,
behind the back, and hooked into a
wooden eye fixed to the middle of the
caooine strip.
6. Francois de Troy, 1654-I7JO, Charles Mouton, c. 1690, Paris, Musie
du Louvre, engraved by Gerard Edelinck 1640-1707.
7. Wiilem van Miens, 1662-1747, detailfrom The Neglected Lute,
c. 1695, London, Buckingham Palace.
8. Theodore Rombouts, M97-I6J7, detadfrom The Five Senses, Ghent,
Museum voor Schone Kunsten.
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