The Musicians

This engraving by Lucas van Leyden illustrates marital harmony by depicting a couple making music together. In this instance the woman plays the dominant role. She sounds a note on a three-stringed rebec (similar to a violin) while her husband tunes his lute, plucking a string and turning a tuning peg. The man has also removed one of his clogs, a sign of submission. The couple appears to be prosperous, as they wear fine, fur-trimmed garments and play musical instruments associated with court culture.