c. 1620

Genio delle arti (Genius of the Arts), a painting by Carlo Bononi, includes a trombone (see first image below; public domain) (Benati 19; Collezione Roberto Lauro, Bologna). An anonymous print duplicates the painting closely (see second image below; public domain) (Moir pl. 44). Located at the foot of the angel, the trombone is noteworthy for its bell flare, which would appear to be slightly more pronounced than that of other trombones of the period. The image belongs to an interesting group of allegorical art works from the 17th century that feature trombones, including Brueghel’s Allegory of Hearing, Van Kessel’s Allegory of Music, and a Czech wall painting from Rozmberk Castle entitled Allegory of Music.