Clio

Clio is portrayed in a contemplative seated position, her gaze directed toward the writing tablet she holds. Beside her bare feet lie two heavy closed volumes, signifying the weight of historical record and the preservation of knowledge. The work uses dramatic light and shadow with the precise, swelling line work characteristic of late 16th-century Dutch engraving.

In the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition, Clio and her sisters were viewed as mediators of divine inspiration (furor divinus) necessary for spiritual and intellectual ascent. As the daughter of Mnemosyne (Memory), Clio represents the preservation of human history as a foundation for the recovery of ancient wisdom (Prisca Theologia).