Lady Seated at a Virginal

Another painting, probably also by Johannes Vermeer and known as A Young Woman Seated at the Virginals, also shows a young woman seated at a virginal. That painting and the Lady Seated at a Virginal are quite separate works. As each is also known by alternate names, the two may be confused with one another. ==Description==

The picture shows a woman facing left and playing a virginal. In the left foreground is a viola da gamba holding a bow between its strings. The painting is . ==Commentary==

Because of its style, the painting has been dated to about 1670. It has been suggested that it and Lady Standing at a Virginal (also owned by the National Gallery) may have been created as pendants, because their sizes, date and subject matter are all similar. A recent study has shown that the canvas for the two paintings also came from the same bolt. In addition, the ground applied to the canvas appears identical to that used for both the Lady Standing and the New York Young Woman Seated. However their provenances before the 19th century differ, and Vermeer sometimes varied a theme in otherwise unrelated paintings. In the 19th century, both paintings were owned by the art critic Théophile Thoré, whose writings led to a resurgence of interest in Vermeer starting in 1866. The painting entered the National Gallery with the Salting Bequest in 1910. ==See also==