Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 1720

About the Work

The artist executed this design for a wall painting as a means of presenting the composition to the customer. It depicts one of the ancient god Jupiter’s amorous adventures. Dressed as a shepherd, he approaches Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. With her, he will conceive the nine muses in nine days. De Wit laid out the lively scene in red chalk and then alternated between brush and pen to fill in the details. His signature indicates that even a preparatory drawing of this kind was considered an independent artwork in his day.