1f2ns: French Baroque composer and viol player Marin Marais, by...

1f2ns:

French Baroque composer and viol player Marin Marais, by Andrés Bouys. The positioning of the viol is thought-provoking, since Marais here plucks the strings with the body of the instrument resting on his knee like a guitar or lute, rather than between his legs as seen in most other contemporary depictions of viol players. I can’t imagine the artist would paint Marais like this if not for a specific reason, as if to show the composer’s unusual technique, or playfulness on the instrument in which he he was considered an expert.

via Tumblr http://sirnot.tumblr.com/post/41424123960