Not currently on view
In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of August 2026
FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG
Bonvin was fascinated by the realism of 17th-century Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish still life paintings. He was also aware of the French Realist movement, a highly candid, straightforward style with political overtones. This work embodies both the realism for which Bonvin was famous and the still life paintings of earlier periods. The woman in the painting is Louison Köhler (1850–?), the artist's mistress. After two failed marriages, Bonvin met her in 1870, and she remained with him until his death, appearing in several of his paintings. The image of the reclining woman hanging directly over Louison's head probably suggests the carnal nature of their relationship. Bonvin borrowed this image—a swooning, overjoyed female—from the famous painting Bacchanal by Titian (1485–1576), now in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
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Johannes Vermeer — The Guitar Player
Orazio Gentileschi — The Lute Player
Johannes Vermeer — A Young Woman seated at a Virginal
Caravaggio — The Lute Player
Caravaggio — The Lute Player
Caravaggio — The Lute Player
Jacob Ochtervelt — The Music Lesson
Gerard ter Borch (II) — Vrouw in boerenkostuum
Johannes Vermeer — Young Woman with a Lute
Gerard ter Borch the Younger — A Woman Playing the Theorbo-L
Gerard van Kuijl — A Musical Company
Valentin de Boulogne — Lute Player
