Bartholomaeus Spranger and his Late Wife Christina Muller

Aegidius Sadeler II, after Bartholomaeus Spranger

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an allegorical scene featuring numerous symbolic figures and objects. The drawing is detailed and elaborate, with mythical and allegorical figures surrounding a framed portrait of a young woman. The young woman is elegantly dressed, and her portrait is held within an ornate frame adorned with foliage and symbolic motifs. Surrounding her are figures such as winged angels, a skeletal figure holding an hourglass and a scythe, and other characters associated with themes of time, mortality, and artistic endeavor. One figure appears to be an artist holding a palette and brushes, gazing out from the lower left. Above, a banner is held aloft by cherubs. The image is rich in symbolism, suggesting themes of time, impermanence, art, and knowledge in the style of the Northern Renaissance.