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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe drawing depicts a woman in flowing, classical drapery that leaves her upper chest partially exposed. She holds a long, segmented instrument, likely a tibia or aulos, while looking downward with a pensive expression. The style demonstrates the characteristic grace of the High Renaissance, with light ink lines defining the movement of fabric and hair.
The figure represents the Renaissance revival of classical antiquity, specifically the iconography of the Muses who were viewed by Neoplatonists as mediators of divine harmony. The instrument and her 'all'antica' attire connect the image to the recovery of ancient Greek and Roman aesthetics central to the intellectual circles of the Medici and the Vatican.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's theory of the 'four divine frenzies' identifies the Muses as the source of poetic and musical inspiration that elevates the soul toward the divine.
Object
Oil on panel
mythological
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/103JY2
4263 × 6566 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on March 31, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.