Trombone History: Double-loop Trombone Paintings

Added the below image by Balen to the 17th century (first half) timeline. The concentration of paintings from this time period that feature trombone is really remarkable.

Minerva muses detailMinerva musesc. 1615—Antwerp, Belgium: Hendrick van Balen’s painting, Minerva among the Muses, on the cover of a virginal belonging to Queen Maria Kazimiera Sobieski, features a trombone among several instruments resting on the ground. The trombone is somewhat unusual because of the double loop of tubing on the back of the instrument. Queen Maria, originally from Poland, marries King James Stuart and spends most of her life in Rome. Hendrick van Balen, the artist, is a mannerist from the Antwerp School (see facing detail and full image, below) (source: wikimedia commons).

5 Senses small (1618)It is probably not a coincidence that another Flemish painting from the same time period, this one a collaboration by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens in 1617-18, shows a trombone in a nearly-identical position, with the same double-loop. The two string instruments laying across each other nearby are also nearly identical. The title is The Sense of Hearing (see facing detail; public domain).

Trombone History: Trombone with 16th Century Wind Band

Added color version of Pinturicchio’s fresco (see below) to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The painting provides one of the earliest examples of trombone iconography showing the instrument in a wind band setting (called pifferi in Italy). The color version of the fresco shows the vibrancy of the painting, as well as revealing the three instruments in a little better detail than in the more common black and white reproductions.

Pint detailPintc. 1503—Siena, Italy: Bernardino Pinturicchio includes a depiction of a trombonist in his painting, Coronation of Pius III, a fresco decorating the exterior of the Piccolomini Library in the cathedral of Siena. The trombonist is part of a trio of wind players seen performing at center-right (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Jenkens 159; Cecchi 19). Documents have shown that trombone did, indeed, perform at this particular coronation (see below).

Trombone Underfoot: A Possible 17th-Century Alto Trombone Image

Added the below images and caption to the Alto Trombone Timeline. It’s quite a beautiful painting. The other instruments “underfoot” are a shawm and a recorder. The trombone appears to be an alto, given its size relative to the things around it (the instruments, most importantly, but also the music and the man’s leg), although how literal the visual depiction was intended to be is always the question.

Mola detailMola

c. 1650—Italy: Swiss-born artist Pier Francesco Mola includes a trombone in his painting, Young Musician Playing a Viola da Gamba. Although it is impossible determine with certainty, the instrument may be an alto trombone, given its size relative to the surrounding instruments and music pages (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Mola 161).

Trombone History: More Trombone Iconography

Added the below image and info to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The artist, Cornelis Court, was well known for making engravings that were copies of pre-existing artworks. In this case, the engraving is after a work by Flemish Renaissance artist Frans Floris. The image, which is obviously symbolic, features a relatively small-looking trombone hanging on the upper right area of the wall. It is nearly impossible to tell, and artists are often less than literal, but the instrument could be an alto trombone. (Compare it proportionally, for example, with the other instruments nearby.)

Cort1565—Musica, an engraving by Dutch artist Cornelis Cort from a series called the Seven Liberal Arts (after works by Frans Floris) includes a small trombone hanging on a wall in the background (see facing image; public domain) (Burgers 99).

Trombone History: 16th Century Paintings of Trombonists

Added several new images to the 16th Century of the Trombone History Timeline. They include, respectively, a detail and 2 paintings by Caravaggio (the less-famous Caravaggio, sometimes known as Polidoro Caldara) (c. 1520, Rome, Italy), as well as a detail and full color version of a painting by Schelhas (c. 1600, Augsburg, Germany). The Caravaggio paintings, dealing with the muses, reflect the symbolism attached to trombone during this period of trombone history. The Schelhas painting, depicting an aristocratic dance, appears to be much more literal, highlighting the trombone’s role as a dance instrument at this time.

Caravaggio-musesCaravaggio 847Caravaggio 846Schelhas detailSchelhas full