2-723-015 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Apollo and the Muses Awakened by the Call of Fame, 1590s. 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 the arts reawakening. The loosely arranged clusters of figures and natural forms also suggest a harmonious relationship between humanity and the environment. The heavily subdued details and attention to the overall impact of contrast and design were valued features of Venetian draftsmanship at this time, admired by the small circle of intellectuals for whom Palma produced many similar mythological works.