翰思‧馬卡（Hans Makart, 1840-1884）出生於薩爾茲堡（Salzburg），1859到1865年跟隨當時重要的歷史畫畫家馮‧皮洛第（Carl Theodor von Piloty, 1826-1886）接受訓練，並於1860年進入慕尼黑藝術學院，皮洛第對馬卡日後的創作有深遠影響；不同於皮洛第，馬卡的歷史畫主要為表達色彩的感性、輝煌而創，故其特別偏愛寓意性題材。

馬卡的創作涵蓋不同的範疇如舞台設計、室內設計或服裝等領域，對當時的奧地利和德國有著重要的影響；本幅作品【音樂的寓意】即是馬卡為尼可拉斯‧頓巴（Nicholas Dumba, 1830-1900）的圖書室所設計的系列作品之一。

1871年頓巴委託畫家馬卡為他的圖書室進行整體的裝飾與規劃。除了天井畫【音樂的寓意】之外，尚包含6幅鑲嵌於牆上的作品，分別以人物寓意畫的形式影射頓巴多方的興趣與家族事業如「貿易與工業」等題材。

【音樂的寓意】，為一近正方形的面積，整體畫面藉由正方形的四個角，以透視法繪製出向上延伸的錐形柱區隔出四個畫面區塊，並將最終的視點聚焦於由四個小天使們環抱圍繞的圓形天體；由四錐形柱區隔的三角空間分別表現宗教性音樂、舞蹈音樂、軍樂及狩獵音樂。

馬卡的設計可謂開啟了新式資產階級用來表現自身的全新概念及這一群人在文化上的自我認知；馬卡所設計的頓巴圖書室在十九世紀下葉成為資產階級室內裝飾的典範，並將其晉升為一備受讚頌的整體藝術（total work of art）創作。

馬卡於1870年代在環道（Ringstrasse）所做的公共建築裝飾設計，決定了維也納十九世紀的文化風格，故又稱為馬卡風格（Makart style）；馬卡除了影響當時代的學院藝術和維也納上階層文化外，亦對後繼的畫家及裝飾設計者有多面向的啓發，其中最著名者為克林姆（Gustav Klimt, 1862-1918）和查茲卡（Hans Zatzka, 1859-1949）；克林姆在繪畫風格上深受馬卡的影響，強調畫面平面性、裝飾性特色，在對女性情慾感官的描繪同樣受到馬卡作品的啟發。(蔡敏玲)

Hans Makart was an important artist of 19th-century Austria. His creations included stage design, interior design and costume design, fascinating the upper class and the academic art circle in Vienna. Makart's decorative design for public buildings at the Ringstrasse in the 1870s established the cultural style of Vienna in the 19th century and was hence called Makart style. His influence further extended to every region in Austria and Germany.

In his early stage of training, Makart followed Carl Theodor von Piloty, an important historical artist. Different from Piloty's conventional style, Makart in his historical paintings mainly aimed at heightening the brilliance and sensuality of the colors with a preference for allegorical subjects. This painting was one of the allegorical paintings created for the library of Nicholas Dumba, who was an active businessman, politician and art patron of his time.

Dumba's grand residence was a social center for artists and the upper class. In 1871, Dumba commissioned Makart to work on the overall design for his library. In addition to this ceiling piece, Four Allegories of Music, six other paintings were fixed on the walls, all with figures reflecting Dumba's broad range of interests and businesses. This painting is nearly square in shape. Projecting perspective from the four corners, the picture is divided into four areas, while the focus falls on four small embracing angels in the central part of the dome. In the four triangular spaces are presented figures symbolic for different types of music: religious, dancing, military and hunting.

Makart's design created a new self-expression for the rising capitalist class and their cultural self-identity. Dumba's library became a model of interior decoration for the capitalist class in the late 19th century and was praised for being 'Gesamtkunstwerk', meaning a "total work of art." (Min Ling TSAI)