Calliope

The Muse Calliope is shown crowned with a laurel wreath, gesturing with her left hand while resting an open book on her lap. At her feet lie additional bound volumes, emphasizing her role as the patron of recording heroic deeds and the 'first' among the Muses. The engraving uses dense cross-hatching to create a sense of sculptural volume, typical of the Haarlem Mannerist influence.

In Renaissance Neoplatonism, Calliope was viewed as the leader of the Muses and the mediator of divine harmony through the 'best voice' of epic poetry. She represents the highest level of human intellectual endeavor and the soul's ability to articulate divine truths.