Renaissance Ivory Lute - Image 1

Throughout the Renaissance, the lute was played both as a solo instrument, as well as an accompaniment for the voice. Its immense popularity throughout Europe gave rise to a vast repetoire that continued to be composed throughout the Baroque era. As an iconographic symbol, the lute was fequently associated with Christ and the angels, or with mythological figures such as Orpheus. Depictions of lutes in art often symbolized harmony, youth, love, sensuality, lust, lasciviousness, and even, due to the instrument's delicacy, the transcience of life. In his play, 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1590-1592), William Shakespeare (1564-1616) describes Katharina's ill-fated lute lesson: 'I did but tell her she mistook her frets, and bowed her hand to teach her fingering; When with a most impatient, devilish spirit, 'Frets, call you these?' quoth she, 'I'll fume with them.' And with that word she struck me on the head, And through the instrument my pate made way, And there I stood amazed for a while, As on a pillory, looking through the lute; While she did call me rascal fiddler And twangling Jack, with twenty such vile terms, As had she studied to misuse me so."