Muse Euterpe by Francesco del Cossa

As it is supposed, this picture belonged to a series consisting of 9 parts. Since the middle of the XV century, at the courts of the Middle Italian rulers, the image of the Muses became fashionable. Among these images, the already mentioned cycle, created by the order of the Duke of Lionello d’Este for the studio of his palace Belfior, is perhaps the most significant and decisive depiction of the muses in the future. The fine connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance, Derdi Gombosi, has established that the muse is depicted in both Budapest paintings.

Unknown Ferrarian artist of the XV century produced engravings with mythological figures for torokovyh maps. The basis of the composition of our paintings was the corresponding parts of this series. Behind Euterpe, towering on the pedestal in an elegant and restrained pose, in the background is a desert landscape, indicating the influence of Piero della Francesca.