Apollo with Erato and Cupid

About the Artwork

In this visual allegory of poetry, Apollo holds his attribute, the kithara, a stringed instrument used in the recitation of epic poems. Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry, appears with a lute and tambourine at her feet. Lyric poetry typically expresses an idea or emotion, such as love, through short, musical, and rhythmic verse. Kellerthaler lived in Dresden, where he regularly worked for members of the Saxon court as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and goldsmith.

Inscriptions

Inscribed lower left in pen and black ink: "Johan KellerDaler aurifaber1595" lower right in pen and black ink: "Zu Breslave"

Exhibition history

Treasures on Paper from the Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 9-June 8, 2014). Themes and Variations: Musical Drawings and Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 25-May 17, 2015). Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).

Quick Overview

Artist: Johann Kellerthaler (German, c. 1560/2–1611)
Date: 1595
Medium: pen and black ink and brown wash heightened with white gouache
Dimensions: Sheet: 19.1 x 15 cm (7 1/2 x 5 7/8 in.)
Type: Drawing
Classification: Drawing
Department: Drawings
Credit line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession no.: 2012.98

Provenance

French private collection (according to Hilmar Klemke)

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.