Bassoon

Bassoon

Dominique Antony Porthaux

Details

Medium
Maple, brass
Dimensions
L. 51 in. (129.4 cm)
Origin
French
Department
Musical Instruments
Holding institution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, 1999

Art Genome Taxonomy

8 tags

Artistic Disciplines

  • Music Both · 99%

    The museum identifies the work as a bassoon, and the image clearly shows a disassembled wind instrument with elongated wooden sections, keys, brass fittings, and a curved crook.

Visual Qualities

  • Highly Detailed Visual · 88%

    Numerous keys, rods, joints, fittings, and separate components are clearly visible within the open case.

  • Linear Forms Visual · 87%

    The composition is dominated by repeated elongated cylindrical sections, rods, keys, and the pronounced curve of the crook.

Time Periods

  • 18th Century Art Metadata · 94%

    The museum dates the bassoon to 1790–1800, placing it primarily in the late eighteenth century.

Geographic Regions

  • French Art Metadata · 96%

    The catalog lists the place of origin as French and identifies the maker as French, working in Paris.

Materials

  • Wood Metadata · 99%

    The catalog specifies maple as a material; the image visibly shows several dark wooden instrument sections.

  • Brass Metadata · 99%

    The catalog specifies brass, consistent with the visible keys, bands, ferrules, and curved crook.

Antiquities, Artifacts, and Religious Objects

  • Musical Instrument Both · 99%

    The catalog classifies the object as a bassoon and double-reed aerophone; the image shows the characteristic separated wooden sections, metal crook, keys, and related components of a wind instrument.

Source & rights

Dominique Antony Porthaux. Bassoon. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.