Portrait of a Theorbo Player
Finette, a stock theatrical character, turns around to look at the viewer while holding a theorbo. Her coy gaze suggests the seductive power of music. Audran made this etching after a painting by Watteau; when printed, the image appears in reverse on paper. As a result, in the print the woman is holding the instrument the wrong way. In the adjacent composition Mezzetino, Watteau presents a more outspoken call for love.