The Symbolism of Music in Dutch Genre Painting
Fri, Jan 16
|Foundling Museum
Dutch genre paintings are full of symbols giving extra layers of meaning to the image on show. In this talk Dutch art historian Mariska will look at the hidden meaning of music and musical instruments in Dutch genre paintings from the 17th century.
Time & Location
Jan 16, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ, UK
About the Event
As centuries passed, a language of symbols developed so that artists could tell stories with deeper and more intricate emphasis, instantly understandable for an audience which did not always share the same spoken language and which was often illiterate.
In this talk we will focus on the many musical instruments and references in Dutch paintings from the 17th century and their deeper meaning.
Delivered by Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
Please note this talk is organised in partnership with the Foundling Museum and booking will be through their website. They do not list all their upcoming talks at once. You will be able to book for the talk closer to the date.