David writes:
| I always wonder whether instruments have changed, or artists just
| couldn't draw them. I think the MOMI website (Museum of Musical
| Instruments) has some examples of the ambiguity of f-hole shapes, body
| lengths etc in old woodcuts.
In some historical circles, looking for "howlers" in artistic works
is an ongoing game. Artists historically have often been somewhat
contemptuous of mere technical detail, and often painted things that
are physically absurd or impossible. Musical instruments are among
the most common examples, especially stringed instruments. I've seen
any number of drawing or paintings of stringed instruments whose
necks were at an angle to the top of the body, so that the strings
would have to bend at the junction. For a more subtle one, you
sometimes see bows drawn at an angle to the string. But players
always learn that the bow must be at a right angle to the string to
get a good sound. Such things have nothing to do with the musical
culture or tradition; they're a matter of basic physics.
So you can't trust artistic representations of musical instruments,
unless you know that the specific artist was up to the task.
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