The Harpist (Joueuse de Harpe)

The Harpist dates to Kurt Seligmann's Paris period, when the Swiss painter developed his distinctive Surrealist manner. In this enigmatic picture, Seligmann conjures up a surreal image in which harp and musician have become one. Punning references to a head in profile, a listening ear perhaps, or arms reaching out to embrace the instrument resist precise interpretation, while infusing an apparently inanimate object with signs of life.

Other elements including the red-trimmed curtain, harp strings, tuning pegs, and the dangling switch of hair or feathers coexist in an uneasy unity. The two banners add a note of pageantry, as though our hybrid harpist might be performing in a medieval military parade.