Allegory of tragedy or Melpomene the Muse

Gerrit van Honsthorst was one of the most important representatives of the Utrecht School. He traveled to Rome to complete his training and there encountered Caravaggio’s painting, which would influence him. 

The painter depicts the muse of tragedy, Melpomene, from below, lending the scene a grandiose tone, accentuated by the lighting and the theatrical drapery in the background. She is adorned with an elaborate headdress and holds a scepter and a crown in her left hand; beside her, resting on the books, lies an unsheathed dagger, alluding to the duality of Greek tragic works. Her face looks upward, her mouth slightly parted, in a theatrical yet restrained gesture, striking a perfect balance between naturalism and idealization.