The Merry Trio

The Merry Trio is an oil painting by Judith Leyster in a private collection. It was considered a work by Frans Hals until 1903. The painting was together with Leyster's The Last Drop in the collection of the British dealer/auction house Sir George Donaldson (1845-1925) where it was documented in 1903.[1] The two may be pendants, as they were then reported to have the same measurements. According to Hofrichter, the scene shows the popular Merry company theme common in 17th-century commedia dell'arte plays. This daylight scene serves as a contrast to its candlelit pendant which warns of the dangers of drinking and smoking. Clearly, Leyster preferred the sober yet festive daytime scene, because she selected the musician on the right to illustrate her self-portrait.