Feminine portraits: lady harpists and their music in the Age of Enlightenment

Abstract

This dissertation examines the many portraits of female harpists painted during the long eighteenth century. The invention of the single-action harp in the early eighteenth century coincided with the rise of domestic music-making and became one of the most popular musical instruments for high-society women for over half a century. I have created an online database of portraits of lady harpists during this period, and the database serves as the foundation of my analysis on the contemporaneous public perception of female musicians. The harp was a contradiction of societal expectations of the behavior of women. It was at once a symbol of propriety, beauty, and wealth, but it could also be a sensual instrument that exposed a woman’s alluring figure. I aim to elucidate the ways in which the paradox of the single-action harp was portrayed in portraiture, and furthermore, how it was expressed through music. Finally, I will investigate the public perception of the harp in the following centuries, discussing how contemporary harpists relate to the stereotypes associated with their musical ancestors.