A Face in Two Movements: Noma Bar’s Cover illustration for The Instrumentalist

Noma Bar

Jul 22

Written By Dutch Uncle

For The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable, illustrator Noma Bar composes a clever visual duet. Known for his signature use of negative space, Bar’s cover art sets the tone for this historical novel set in 18th-century Venice.

The image depicts protagonist Anna Maria della Pietà in two opposing states. One profile, head uplifted, catches the elation of a virtuoso lost in performance. The other turns downward—a nod to Anna Maria’s dreams of drowning, a motif threaded through her journey. It’s a striking piece of graphic storytelling, evoking both the weight of ambition and the pull of water in Venice’s shadowed canals.

As Anna trains under Vivaldi at the Ospedale della Pietà, her story resonates with themes of gender, genius, and survival.

📖 Synopsis

Set in early 18th‑century Venice, this historical novel traces the journey of Anna Maria della Pietà—an orphan dropped off at the Ospedale della Pietà as a baby. She emerges as a musical prodigy, raised within the orphanage’s elite girls’ orchestra under the tutelage of Antonio Vivaldi. Anna Maria's ambition, talent, and synesthetic experience of music propel her to stardom—yet her rise pits her brilliance against the constraints of gender, the exploitation of patronage, and the complex relationship with Vivaldi himself, as her artistry begins to eclipse his legacy

https://www.amazon.com/Instrumentalist-Harriet-Constable/dp/1668035820

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Further reading:

Noma BarBook Illustration

Dutch Uncle

Dutch Uncle is an award-winning international illustration and animation agency founded in 2006 by Helen Cowley. With offices in London, New York, and Tokyo, we operate across every major timezone, connecting the world's most ambitious brands with exceptional global creative talent.

Over nearly two decades, Dutch Uncle have built one of the most decorated artist rosters in the industry. Our artists have produced Gold Clio and Cannes Lions award-winning work for clients spanning fashion, luxury, fintech, tech, healthcare, and publishing. We have collaborated on prestige illustration and animation projects for global leaders, including Hermès, Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Rimowa, as well as Apple, Google, Mercedes, Netflix, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, The New York Times.

We represent illustrators and animation directors who lead their fields in conceptual thinking, visual intelligence, and craft. Artists whose work cuts through algorithmic sameness to deliver genuine cultural impact.

Beyond our core roster, we also draw on an international network of talent across five continents to meet the scale and complexity of any brief.

Dutch Uncle operates as a full-service creative production partner, managing everything from artist sourcing and briefing through to licensing, copyright, animation production, and final delivery.

We specialise in complex, multi-market projects that demand creative precision and seamless execution. Whether that is a single editorial commission, a suite of high-impact social media assets, or a global animated campaign.

For nearly twenty years, the world's leading agencies, publishers, cultural institutions, and brands have trusted us to bring their most ambitious work to life.

https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk