what instrument is depicted in this picture?

Question

it looks like a lute or some long necked lute derivative, can anyone actually identify this as a specific named instrument other than a lute or is this just a case of artistic license?

Answer 1

It's hard to tell from the picture. A therobo, or archlute, has additional strings that wouldn't be seen from that angle. Judging from the player's costume the art depicts the Italian Renaissance. Given that, the instrument is probably one of the larger members of the mandolin family; possibly a mandoloncello, the fourth largest of the mandolins. The mandolins represent the largest group of the lute family of instruments with dozens of different types.



But since so much art takes licence with musical instruments, it's altogether possible that it's just an artist's interpretation. But there are actual long-necked mandolins that look like that. The Greek bouzouki is a famous example, but this is clearly not a depiction of Greek art.



Here is a picture of a modern bouzouki. You can see the same long neck and rounded body as in the artwork. The instrument is a member of the mandolin family:



http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoS4Qw6tSz2YAMyeJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTI0amJjaDJyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM4ZTliZjY1ZGE0Mjc1NTRmMTg0OWQwODAzYzgwMDNiYgRncG9zAzI0OQRpdANiaW5n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dbouzouki%26n%3D60%26ei%3Dutf-8%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26spos%3D48%26nost%3D1%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D249&w=445&h=534&imgurl=img.alibaba.com%2Fphoto%2F676930129%2FBouzouki_Special_Greece_8_string_acoustic_Guitar_.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fportuguese.alibaba.com%2Fproduct-gs%2Fbouzouki-special-greece-8-string-acoustic-guitar--676930129.html&size=45.5KB&name=%3Cb%3EBouzouki%3C%2Fb%3E%2Fespecial+gr%C3%A9cia+8+-+cordas+da+guitarra+ac%C3%BAstica%2F-Guitarra+...&p=bouzouki&oid=8e9bf65da427554f1849d0803c8003bb&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=%3Cb%3EBouzouki%3C%2Fb%3E%2Fespecial+gr%C3%A9cia+8+-+cordas+da+guitarra+ac%C3%BAstica%2F-Guitarra+...&b=241&ni=192&no=249&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=13965fmve&sigb=13kdican1&sigi=12l735bdq&.crumb=vxFI4C8jxYh&fr=yfp-t-900

Answer 2

Finding from when and where this picture comes will tell us what type of lute it is. It is a lute by hornbostel-sachs instrument classification, however it may have a more specific name to the culture from which it came. The picture reminds me of a French Troubador, because he looks to be serenading from below perhaps to some noble lady above.

Answer 3

Looks like a Lute to me too. There's an instrument that looks similar that is common in India I think. But I think it has more strings on it.

Answer 4

The man is wearing a mediaval period costume. It would be natural to say he is playing the lute since that was the most popular intstrument used by strolling minnesingers and meistersingers of the period. I think the person who drew this mistakenly drew the instrument too long and not wide enough.



Nancy

Answer 5

Strange...I thought Charlie Watts was a drummer. He must have been smashed when that picture was taken.

Answer 6

It may depict a "chitarrone" or "theorbo."



http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/113313/chitarrone



http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/spencer/html/spencer.htm