Description
Here a barely visible Apollo, sleeping in the upper left background, and the nine muses are roused by the allegorical figure of Fame, who flies overhead with a trumpet. This dynamic scene signifies a reawakening of the arts. The loosely arranged clusters of figures and natural forms also suggest a harmonious relationship between humanity and the environment. This drawing, with its heavily subdued details and attention to the overall impact of contrast and design, is characteristic of Venetian draftsmanship in the late 1500s, and was valued by the small circle of Venetian intellectuals for whom Palma produced many similar mythological works.
Provenance
Jonathan Richardson, London (Lugt 2183, lower center, in black ink). William Mayor, London (Lugt 2799, lower right, in black ink). John Postle Heseltine, London (Lugt 1507, verso of secondary support, lower right, in black ink); [P. & D. Colnaghi & Obach] (according to departmental cataloguing sheet). [M. Knoedler & Co.] (verso of secondary support, stamped in red ink: M. K. & CO. / W. C. No. 1246 [traced in black ink])
Accession Number
1926.265
Medium
pen and brown ink and brush and brown wash over graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 20.4 x 26.1 cm (8 1/16 x 10 1/4 in.); Secondary Support: 26.3 x 31.9 cm (10 3/8 x 12 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund