Gerard van Honthorst - The matchmaker

• Title: The matchmaker
• Artist: Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656)
• Date: 1625
• Medium: Oil on panel
• Dimensions: 71 x 104 cm

The painting "The matchmaker" presents a young woman with a provocative neckline, with the right nipple slightly protuding, and a seductive smile carrying a lute. She is facing a man with expensive clothing and who carries a purse in his hand. On the side, an old woman is pointing at the man while communicating with the young woman with a greedy stare and smile. All of the subjects are in a shallow space. The light from the candle on the table accentuates the young woman's cleavage and her colorful and feathered clothes. On the left, an old matchmaker, with a tooth protruding from her closed mouth, keeps an eye on what is happening. The lute is a symbol for female vagina and by association to lust. The painting abounds in contrasts, not only between light and darkness, but also between youth and old age.