Paintings in National Gallery (2/2/2010)

1. A Young Woman playing a Harpsichord to a Young Man (probably 1659) by Jan Steen (1626-1679): The inscription on the inner side of the top of the harpsichord, ACTA VIRUM/ PROBANT (actions prove the man), may be a witty and ironic comment on this scene of flirtation. Usually music-making is associated with the harmony of love. Another inscription on the inner side of the keyboard, Soli Deo Gloria, means 'Glory to God alone'.

2. A Woman playing a Theorbo to Two Men (about 1667-8) by Gerard ter Borch (1617-1681): The association between music and love is a frequently depicted subject in Dutch genre painting. Yet the situation within this domestic interior remains deliberately ambiguous. Is it a happy domestic scene or is it a brothel? The viewer invited to decide.

3. A Woman singing and a Man with a Cittern (about 1665-70) by Godfried Schalcken (1643-1706): The association between music and courtship was a familiar topic in Dutch genre painting. Here it is underscored by the presence of a rose, symbol of love, on the table. Schalcken enjoyed great success with his small, highly finished domestic scenes.

4. A Young Man playing a Theorbo and a Young Woman playing a Cittern (about 1630-2) by Jan Molenaer (about 1610-1668): The duet played by a young couple is probably a reference to the harmony of true love. The foot-warmer is usually interpreted as a symbol of the effort a man has to make to gain a woman's love. The potrait on the wall shows Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange (1584-1657), who became Stadholder of the Netherlands in 1625.