Clio (Hendrik Goltzius) Clio (Hendrik Goltzius) Hendrik Goltzius' engraving of Clio is the fourth in his series on the nine Muses, and was executed in 1592. The engraving depicts the Greek muse of history seated, holding a pen in her right hand and a tablet and inkwell in her left, with two books at her feet. She is drawn, wrote historian Natalie Zemon Davis, "with a faint smile, perhaps ironic, certainly detached. From this picture, it is only a short step to some Renaissance representations of History as a winged woman writing, her white garb signifying that she bears witness to truth as
Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse also by the Classical subject matter of the muses from ancient Greek/Roman mythologies that numerous sculptors tried to create. Reynolds painted Siddons as Melpomene, the muse of tragedy. This work was painted when Mrs. Siddons was 28 years old and in the prime of her career. When she entered Reynolds' studio he took her by the hand and said, ""Ascend upon your undisputed throne, and graciously bestow upon me some great idea of the Tragic Muse"". Like the old masters, Reynolds signed his name secretly in the work by putting it on the gold embroidery at the hem of her