William Sidney Mount painting.

[Carl Anderton]

There is an interesting discussion of the famous painting over at the Banjo Hangout.

 

http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/220005

 

My favorite reply, besides the ironclad documented commentary of Ed Britt,  is that of Dan Gellert.  

 

"If the model wasn't a player, Mount sure knew how to make him look like he did. As a teacher, there's something I'm always looking for in my students' hands, a sort of confident, relaxed intimacy with the strings..."

 

Confident, relaxed intimacy with the strings.  I love that phrase.  I will keep it in mind each day as I practice from now on.

 

I love how this painting, with Dan and Ed's expert observations, reveals so much about the period stroke-style.  The right hand approach never died, though the style did.  The supple and graceful clawhammer right hand, paired with the syncopated, quirky music of the tutors, takes us straight back to 1840-18??.  

 

It's an exciting time to be a banjo player.

[Bell Banjos]

In that beautiful painting there are three problems of perspective that are obvious. I bet it was driving Mr. Mount nuts and he couldn't wait til it was done. Thanks for that, Carl.