Depicting one with a plectrum, the other one with fingertip technique
actually would make much sense in that time's lute practice, would it not?
Consider some basic voices played with fingers and an improvising fast
plectrum style player, as seen in Spinacino, or a bit later in
Francesco's La Spagna (if authentic, but anyway).
Am 01.05.2018 um 00:53 schrieb Ron Andrico:
Dear David:
I bow to your expertise in the matter of period paintings. But it
seems to me that the lutenist on the left may have been holding a
plectrum, the evidence very likely washed away along with the strings
upon cleaning. I came to this conclusion based upon the closeness of
the right-hand fingers, which would make it nearly impossible to play
individual strings with the fingertips. The angel ad dexteram,
however, has fingers spread more in the manner of finger style play.
Of course this is subjective interpretation in the absence of clear
evidence, but makes sense if one tries holding the right-hand fingers
just so.
Best wishes,
Ron
__________________________________________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf
of David Van Edwards <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2018 9:26 PM
To: Ron Andrico
Cc: Tristan von Neumann; lutelist Net
Subject: [LUTE] Re: another lute nativity - 6 courses in 1475?
Dear Ron,
Well it would be nice to be sure about the playing technique but to
be honest I can't see a plectrum in either hand. There is just the
faintest shadow that might be a remnant of plectrum over the first
finger of the left hand lutenist but I wouldn't swear to it. Though
of course both plectrums may have vanished down the restorers' drains
together with the strings!
It's in the National Gallery in London and there's a good close up
facility in their webpage at
[1]https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/piero-della-francesca-t
he-nativity
[2]Piero della Francesca | The Nativity | NG908 | National ...
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
View: Piero della Francesca, The Nativity. Read about this painting,
learn the key facts and zoom in to discover more.
So you can see the pentimenti around the hand but realy not much
trace of a plectrum.
Best wishes,
David
At 21:07 +0000 30/4/18, Ron Andrico wrote:
> We featured this illustration from the famous Piero della
Francesca in
> a blog post
>
[1]https://mignarda.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/saturday-morning-quotes-6-
> 32-puer-natus-est/
>
> The lack of clarity and crispness in the depiction of strings has
> nothing to do with the artist's attention to detail, and such a
> suggestion is a discredit to an artist known for his extreme
adherence
> to symbolism, proportion and symmetry. The painting, like so many
> others, was the victim of a very poor cleaning and/or restoration.
>
> An interesting point is that in this circa 1475 painting, one of
the
> lutenists is playing with a plectrum and the other with the
fingertips.
>
> RA
>
__________________________________________________________________
>
> From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on
behalf
> of Tristan von Neumann <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2018 4:45 PM
> To: lutelist Net
> Subject: [LUTE] another lute nativity - 6 courses in 1475?
>
> This nativity has two very big lutes in it. Also, it seems the
right
> lute has 11 pegs. Maybe this has been the subject of discussion
> already.
> Anyway, the lutes seem to have very elaborate 3d roses.
> [2]https://www.wga.hu/art/p/piero/3/13nativ3.jpg
>
> [13nativ3.jpg]
> To get on or off this list see list information at
> [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
>
> --
>
>References
>
> 1.
>[3]https://mignarda.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/saturday-morning-quotes-6
-32-puer-natus-est/
> 2. [4]https://www.wga.hu/art/p/piero/3/13nativ3.jpg
> 3. [5]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
The Smokehouse,
6 Whitwell Road,
Norwich, NR1 4HB
England.
Telephone: + 44 (0)1603 629899
Website: [6]http://www.vanedwards.co.uk
--
References
1.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/piero-della-francesca-the-nativity
2.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/piero-della-francesca-the-nativity
3.
https://mignarda.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/saturday-morning-quotes-6-32-puer-natus-est/
4. https://www.wga.hu/art/p/piero/3/13nativ3.jpg
5. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
6. http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/
