Especially good are the various contrasting flesh-tones, the red and yellow of the costume, and the reflections in the eyes.

[1]The theme of a lute player painted at half length originated in Italy, and the Dutch painter Dirck van Baburen first introduced this theme in the Northern Netherlands with his lute player of 1622.

Baburen's player is pointing his lute towards the viewer with his mouth open in song.

A period copy now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum has been dated before 1626 based on an engraving, and it has been attributed variously to Hals, his brother Dirk, and Judith Leyster.

This painting has been copied by other artists, most notably by David Bailly in his 1651 self-portrait with his artist's influences, and by Adriaan de Lelie with his 1813 self-portrait with Josephus Augustinus Brentano, including this painting on the wall of Brentano's collection.