The Lute Player by August Macke

This painting is August Macke's The Lute Player, painted in 1910.

The one thing that I noticed right away about this that got my attention was the fact that most of the lute is covered by the vase. This surprises me, since the painting is called The Lute Player. I would expect that the lute and its player would be very visible rather than halfway covered by a vase of tulips.

One of the other things that captured my attention was the "X" in the top left part of the painting. Could that stand for somthing?

One of the things I really like about this painting are the bright, happy colors. I like a painting that makes you happy much more than a painting of some dark, depressing room full of dark, depressed people wearing dark, depressing clothing... I think you get the point.

Another thing is the facial expression of the player's face. He (or she) doesn't seem to be very immersed in the music. They seem to be a little mad about something. Not a very friendly expression, to say the least. Maybe they were forced into lute lessons as a kid.