JACOPO TINTORETTO (1519-94)
The Muses
1578RCIN 405476
The nine Muses were originally seen as the divine inspiration for poetry, song and dance, but gradually became the emblems for all the liberal arts. With Apollo (represented as the sun) they also symbolised the ‘harmony of the spheres’. Here Tintoretto’s sweeping strokes have created powerfully articulated nudes who fly and turn with extraordinary freedom.
Acquired by Charles I from the Gonzaga collection, Mantua