Young man with jew's harp

The Boy with mouth-harp is the first in a series of isolated musicians painted in half-length, which the Utrecht Caravaggists introduced to the north of Europe. The idea of portraying a musician this way goes back to Caravaggio (Italy, 1571-1610) and his followers. Baburen’s painting is one of the first to show up in the North. It dates from 1621, the year in which he returned from Italy. It is generally accepted that this is the first work that he made upon returning home.