Apollo (from the Tarocchi, series D: Apollo and the Muses, #20)

1467

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Mythology Ferrara

Dominant colour

Apollo (from the Tarocchi, series D: Apollo and the Muses, #20) is a 1467 by Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, a Renaissance work, depicting Ferrara, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Master of the E-Series Tarocchi
When & what style?: 1467 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The painting shows Apollo, the god of light and music, surrounded by symbols of the arts. He's playing a musical instrument, and there are other objects around him. The painting is interesting because it comes from a series of cards called Tarocchi, which told stories from Greek mythology. The Cleveland Museum of Art has this engraving, and it's a great example of 15th-century Italian art. The artist who made this is not well-known, but the style is similar to other engravings from the time. Look up the work of the Master of the E-Series Tarocchi to see more art like this.

The story of this work

Overview

This engraving is part of the Tarocchi group marked with the letter “D”, and named Apollo and the Muses . In Greek mythology, the nine Muses (Calliope, Urania, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Thalia, Melpomene, Euterpe, and Clio) were the daughters of Zeus, king of the gods, and Mnemosyne, the Titaness of memory. The Muses were goddesses presiding over different branches of the arts and sciences. Their leader and supervisor was Apollo, the god of light, music, prophecy, and poetry. Here, Apollo is personified as a full-length crowned male figure, frontal view, and seated on two swans. He…

Read the full account in the museum source.