Steps to Parnassus (Gradus ad Parnassum)

An elaborate allegorical illustration serves as the frontispiece. In the center, within an architectural frame, the god Apollo sits on Mount Parnassus holding a lyre. He crowns a figure with a laurel wreath. This figure, likely representing a student of music or the author himself, ascends a flight of stone steps. Pegasus, the winged horse of inspiration, leaps from the mountain peak in the background. Other figures, possibly the Muses, stand nearby. The ornate frame is topped with the double-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire wearing a crown. This symbol represents the Habsburg monarchy and the author's patron, Emperor Charles VI. The sides and bottom of the frame are decorated with musical instruments. These include trumpets, violas, a small pipe organ, a lyre, flutes, and drums. A theatrical mask is also visible. The title of the work is held in a decorative frame at the bottom.

original: "GRADUS AD PARNASSUM". Parnassus is a mountain in Greece. In mythology, it is the home of the Muses and Apollo. It represents the peak of achievement in the arts.