Photo of Pardessus de viole - Public domain dedication
Summary
The pardessus de viole was held between the legs and played with a bow. This instrument was fashionable among amateur performers, especially aristocratic ladies, in France in the early 18th century. Indeed the pardessus was a good alternative to the violin. The latter was considered inappropriate for a lady as it was associated with dance music and required an ungraceful posture to play it.
Tags
Date
1730 - 1750
Source
Rijksmuseum
Copyright info
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")