The Nine Muses and Renown — Nouvelle Iconologie Historique

An exquisite hand-coloured engraving celebrating the nine Muses and the personifications of Renown in a rich Neoclassical allegory.

Original title: Les 9 Muses, et les diverses Renommées. Drawn and engraved by Jean-Charles Delafosse. From Nouvelle Iconologie Historique, published by Jean-François Daumont, Paris, c. 1775.

Delafosse draws on Hesiodic and Roman precedent to set out the attributes of each Muse — lyre, mask, scroll, compass — alongside trumpets of Fame. The plate typifies the Iconologie's role as a visual lexicon, supplying painters, sculptors, and decorators with authoritative emblems for the celebration of learning and the arts.

Hand-coloured copperplate engraving. Sheet approximately 46.7 × 34.7 cm. Excellent condition.