the Muses
I wanted to do a group composition. The theme of the Muses actually occurred to me while reading the Histories of Herodotus. It was interesting to me that the chapters were each named after one of the Muses. The Muses were Greek goddesses of the arts and sciences. This is their identification:The one at the very top with the crown of stars and the globe is Urania, the muse of astronomy. The dancing redhead on the left of her with the tambourine is Terpsichore, the muse of dance. To the other side of Urania, with the horn, is Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry. The funny one beneath her, with the mask, is Thalia, the muse of comedy. The blonde in the center, playing the harpsichord, is Polyhymnia, the muse of sacred hymns. The blonde that is reclining to the right of Polyhymnia, and with the cherub at her knee, is Erato, the muse of erotic poetry. (Look close and you'll see that the cherub is handing Erato a valentine.) The curly haired brunette reading the book is Clio, the muse of history. (The book is of Herodotus, who is generally regarded as the first historian.) The one with the mask and the knife to herself is Melpomene, the muse of tragedy. And the last one, the blonde with the flutes at the bottom, is Euterpe, the muse of music and lyric poetry.