The Duet

[David Draime]

Alex,

This is a truly beautiful painting. I find my eye gliding around the painting, taking in all the lovely passages, the "scenes within the Scene"...starting with the figure in the foreground (your daughter) with her back facing us, the sweep of the harp upward, the molding of the archway, gently conveying our attention over and down, the angles of the violinist's bow and the music stand repeated again by the stairway in the background.... the painting is a delicately balanced concerto, certain themes repeating themselves, variations that result in a delightful set of rhythms.... and because of the mastery and confidence with which it is painted, the strength of these details in no way detracts from the overall unity of the piece. And I love the ambiguity of your daughter's possible attention: is she looking at the music on the stand or glancing up at her brother?

The interior, belonging to an obviously older home, gives the sense that this painting could have been painted anytime during the last hundred years or so - as Linda mentioned, it has a both a contemporary and traditional feel at the same time. And I love the inclusion of an earlier Tyng painting in the background...

I do wonder: were you consciously aware of Vermeer's The Art of Painting (Artist in his Studio) while you were painting this? The compositional similarities are striking: the arrangement of the figures, instead of a painting on an easel, it's sheet music on a stand... the modest chandelier, the self-referential painting-within-the-painting, not to mention the musical theme!....very, very interesting!

Simply put: it is an arresting painting. Breathtaking!

David

[Alexandra Tyng]

David, thank you! That's very amazing and wonderful that you saw all these things in the painting.

Originally Posted by David Draime

I do wonder: were you consciously aware of Vermeer's The Art of Painting (Artist in his Studio) while you were painting this?

No, I wasn't at all--but when I was a college student majoring in art history, I fell in love with Vermeer's work, and that painting was one of my favorites! It still is. I have no doubt that my favorite works are imprinted on my brain, and show themselves in various ways in my art. I never would have noticed the similarity, though, until you pointed it out, but now I can definitely see what you mean. I like the way Vermeer used the curtain as a formal element, establishing the foreground and also as a device to let the viewer know he/she is a voyeur watching the scene unobserved.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Alex, I recognized this lot immediately! This painting makes me want to slide up the arp and somersault in the picture to hear the music of this trio (I am sure the musician on the wall is playing too).
What a great light and atmosphere, the painting is so strongly bond, every single bit belongs to the ensamble, be it skin, metal fabric or wood.
Just beautiful
Ilaria

[Alexandra Tyng]

Ilaria, just come on in, slide up the harp and make yourself at home! Actually, I'd love to see you arrive that way!! I knew you would recognize my kids. They look pretty much the same today. (By the way, after we met at the Tate, they kept saying how nice you were.)

Thanks for the compliments on the painting. Your approval means a lot.