Muse from Agnano

myminifactory

This is one of a group of statues discovered in Roman baths at Agnano near Naples called Muses from Agnano. The figures had clearly been removed from their original location long ago. It's widely assumed that they were initially erected on the Greek island of Delos, near the great temple of Apollo. The execution of fine robes is especially attractive and varies from muse to muse. The arrangement of robes and materials emphasizes the figures' beautiful, girlish bodies. Despite the condition of the group, which in parts is quite fragmentary, one senses today that it's not posed for the viewer but rather gives him the role of an accidental onlooker. The muses are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who stands for humanity's intellectual powers as a divine force. Her nine children protect and promote human creative activities, scholarly pursuits, and scientific endeavors. Polyhymnia fosters singing to the accompaniment of the lyre; Euterpe is the muse of lyric poetry and flute-playing, while Erato inspires love poetry. Three muses oversee theater's creative energies: Terpsichore delights in dance and choral song, Melpomene chants tragedy, and Thalia is responsible for comedy. Finally, three daughters are assigned to scholarship and sciences: Clio praises epic poetry and history; Calliope has a beautiful voice for literature and science; and Urania inspires astronomy as the heavenly one.