Soldier Playing the Theorbo

Ernest Meissonier

Oil on wood panel

Metropolitan Museum of Art

A jaunty cavalier plants one red-booted foot upon a stool and tilts his head back in song as he strums a large lute-like theorbo, its long neck arcing dramatically above him. Meissonier, celebrated for his meticulous, jewel-like brushwork and devotion to seventeenth-century costume and genre painting, renders every fold of the soldier's plumed hat, rumpled breeches, and gleaming boots with astonishing precision. The warm, theatrical lighting and rich red draperies in the background lend the scene a glowing, intimate theatricality, as if caught mid-performance in a tavern or barracks. This small but masterfully executed work captures Meissonier's signature blend of historical nostalgia and virtuoso technique, making it a captivating, richly detailed addition to any wall.