Crusie’s Guide to Art

You know when I was throwing these together years ago, I didn’t research any of the actual art, but I was pretty close to dead on for this one. It’s “The Matchmaker” by Gerrit Van Honthorst, also sometimes called “The Procuress” (1625) and the woman really is pleased that he’s admiring her lute (which it turns out is a symbol of the female genital region) because she’s hoping he’ll open that purse in his hand and pass over some coin in return for access to her instrument. The chiaroscuro in this all but says, “Check out these boobs” and the lute is just the second verse.