Musical entertainment was an essential element of Baroque court culture. Musical performances ranged from extravagant productions with large orchestras to more private affairs in smaller circles, such as this performance by a female spinet player. The spinet is a variation of the harpsichord, which had become established during the Renaissance and reached its zenith in Baroque music. Many of Mozart’s earlier works for piano, for example, were conceived for the harpsichord.Oil on canvas by Johann Heinrich Schönfeld (1609-1682/83), c. 1670.