Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia is shown in pensive contemplation, dressed in flowing classical robes and seated against a craggy stone backdrop. She holds the caduceus, the serpent-entwined staff of Mercury, and a hand-held scroll, while a thick volume with heavy clasps rests on the ground. The engraving uses sophisticated swelling lines and hatching to create a sense of three-dimensional form and texture.

As the Muse of sacred hymns and memory, Polyhymnia is here explicitly linked to the Hermetic tradition through her attribute of the caduceus. This iconographic choice connects the divine inspiration of the Muses with the eloquence and transformative wisdom of Hermes-Mercury, reflecting the Neoplatonic synthesis favored by the Haarlem Mannerists.