Flute Concert with Frederick the Great in Sanssouci, Adolph Menzel
Link is to zoomable version on Google Art Project; downloadable file on Wikimedia Commons; original is in the Alte Nationalgalerie, National Museums in Berlin.
The ostensible subject, Frederick the Great — about whom Menzel painted a series of works — is almost lost among the other spectators, and overshadowed by the the striking presence of the soloist. [Correction: turns out I jumped to conclusions based on my lack of background knowledge. The flute player is Frederick the Great. See the comment on this post by Levantine.]
The real star of the painting, though, is the resplendent candlelight cascading down from the crystal chandelier — reflected in the ornate mirror and sweeping through the richly textured composition — where it is echoed by the glow of the individual candles amid the ensemble.
A tour-de-force of interior light.
He’s the King. We have to listen to him, no matter how he plays.
Charley Parker: …. The ostensible subject, Frederick the Great — about whom Menzel painted a series of works — is almost lost among the other spectators, and overshadowed by the the striking presence of the soloist……
I always assumed that Frederick the Great is the flute player.
I went to Wikipedia, an unreliable source, to check ….
“The Flute Concert of Sanssouci by Adolph Menzel, 1852, depicts Frederick playing the flute in his music room at Sanssouci. ”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_the_Great#Music.2C_arts_and_learning
The description continues: “C. P. E. Bach accompanies him on the harpsichord.” Indeed, when we take a second look at the painting, we see the person on the right of the flautist sitting in front of a … harpsichord, with his fingers pressing keys.
Thanks, Levantine! I’ve added a correction to the post.