The Apotheosis of the Arts

This monumental work, printed from two plates, is a complex allegory about the arts in Europe. The propagandist print juxtaposes the "barbarous" Turks against the "cultured" Westerners who appreciate the arts. The figures of Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture - identifiable by the tools they hold - are led up a spiraling cloud by a trumpet-blowing angel. They are borne heavenward towards Parnassus where Olympian gods await them. At bottom right are the Ottomans, one of whom threatens their ascent with a bow and arrow. Meanwhile, on the left, the leaders of Christian Europe admire the work of great artists and architects.

The Apotheosis of the Arts is one of Jan Muller's greatest works based on the designs of Bartholomeus Spranger, who was an important artist at the Prague court of Emperor Rudolf II. Rendered in silvery grays, the print's elegant and intellectual design is the epitome of Spranger's unique courtly style.