Unfortunately only two examples of the 6-course lute survive in their original state.
- The Georg Gerle (Innsbruck, 1581) in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
- The Magno Dieffopruchar (Venice, c.1550) in the J & A Beare collection, London.
Other examples by Hans Frei and Laux Maler were rebuilt to baroque lutes in later ages. I make reconstructions based on examples by all these makers.
After “The Cana Wedding” by Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen
(Mechelen, ca. 1530)
11 ribs in flamed maple
String length: 600 mm
Pitch: g’
When I saw this painting at the Rijksmuseum it occurred to me that the outline of the lute in the painting showed great resemblance to the Gerle example. At home I projected the outline of the lute over the painting and found out they match. So I decided to make a reconstruction based on both the Gerle lute and the painting.
An aspect unique to this lute are the multi-level rose and the three ‘windows’.
The Dutch Luthier 