Provenance:

Dr. George Hamilton, Massachusetts; and by descent.

Private Collection, Ohio, until 2021.

Exhibited:

Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts (according to a handwritten inscription on the reverse).

This drawing by an anonymous, 16th-century German hand presents a delightful scene of nymphs—mostly nude but some draped with cloth—making music in an outdoor setting. The composition is executed within a roundel and centers on the harpsichord played by the figure seen from behind. She is accompanied by a host of other instruments, including horns, a harp, and a lira da gamba played by figures gathered nearby, several of which are positioned along the curved edges of the visual field. Two satyrs observe the merrymaking—one leans on the harpsichord while the other holds aloft a cup, presumably of wine, adding a bacchic element to the revelry.

 The drawing was previously owned by Dr. George Hamilton, scholar of modern art and Director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown (1966–1977). Hamilton played a significant role in developing the Clark into a major research center for art history, including founding the graduate program and establishing the research library.