Urania (astronomy) (from the Tarocchi series D: Apollo and the Muses, #12)

1467

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Mythology Ferrara

Dominant colour

Urania (astronomy) (from the Tarocchi series D: Apollo and the Muses, #12) 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

This painting shows a woman, Urania, who represents astronomy. She's one of the Muses from Greek mythology. The story behind the Muses is interesting - they were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and each had a special role in the arts and sciences. Urania's role was to inspire people to learn about the stars and the universe. Check out the work at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

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, Urania is personified as a full-length female figure, set in an imaginary hilly landscape. She carries a…

Read the full account in the museum source.