I recently added two more versions of this humorous picture to the Trombone History Timeline (19th century, 1826-1850). It’s one of those pictures like this St. Cecilia image that takes on a life of its own!

1838—L’Enragé Musicien, a lithograph by Bourdin after an image by Robert William Buss, depicts a trombone player practicing in the middle of the night (the clock shows 2:30), with neighbors protesting and a scowling portrait of Handel looking on. The trombonist plays on an instrument with a slide extension handle (see below image; public domain) (Goodfriend, Prints and Drawings of Musical Interest).

Below is the original painting, “The Musical Bore,” by Robert William Buss (public domain; special thanks to Brian Haapanen).

Although my source for the top image (the lithograph) indicates that the lithograph is after the painting by Robert William Buss, below is a painting by Carl Zimmerman (according to this auction house) that is almost identical to the other 2 images—except the time appears to be 1:30 instead of 2:30 (see below image, click to enlarge; public domain). It may be a copy by Zimmerman of Buss’s painting.

Another print after the Buss painting, this one an engraving by Carl Mayer, dates from c. 1850 (see below image; public domain) (special thanks to Tassos Dimitriadis).

A painted snuffbox from around the same time period follows the same basic image as the 4 above (see below image; public domain) (source: Europeana, Museum Rotterdam).