A Franco-Flemish double-manual harpsichord, originally a 'transposing' harpsichord made in Antwerp in 1617, possibly by Frans van Huffel.  It was given a bass ravalement in Paris in 1750 by François Étienne Blanchet and it was later given a treble ravalement in 1786 by Jacques Barberini and Nicolas Hoffmann.

 

 

The painting of the inside of the lid of the Franco-Flemish harpsichord after cleaning and restoration

 

 

          The author of this painting has yet to be determined.  But, like the painting of the figures on the top of the lid, it is of extremely high quality and compares with the best Parisian landscape artists active around 1750.  It shows a sylvan landscape with groups of figures engaged in rural activities.  The figures are painted in a vigorous, free style and it seems likely that they hold the key to an eventual attribution of this landscape painting.

 

For more details of the lid paintings at a nearly stage of cleaning and restoration click here.

    

 

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Important Features of this harpsichord

 

A brief history of the musical and decorative states of the Franco-Flemish harpsichord

 

Details of the original state of the instrument

 

Details of the eighteenth-century states of this harpsichord

  

 Details of the modern history of this harpsichord

 

 A problem encountered in the ethical restoration of this harpsichord

 

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