3 Muses en Peinture et Mosaique

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Les Neuf Muses ont été une source d'inspiration de tous artistes depuis l’antiquité. Au cours des siècles d'innombrables peintures, fresques, mosaïques, poèmes et statues leurs furent dédiés. De nombreux artistes en toutes époques ont reconnu leur importance dans la création artistique et leur ont dédié leurs œuvres.

Sur ce tableau visible au musée du Louvre,  Eustache Lesueur , peintre du 17eme siècle a represente trois d'entre elles : Melpomene, Polymnia and Erato

14 siecles avant Lesueur, la Mosaïque romaine de Vichten au Luxembourg fut fabriquee vers 240 de notre ère dans un atelier spécialise de Trêves en Allemagne. C'est l'une des plus belles représentations musiviale* des neuf muses et une illustration éloquente de la culture philosophique et littéraire des élites citadines Gallo-romaine.

Melpomene, protectrice de la Tragédie, inventa la Tragédie et le discours réthorique. Elle est souvent dépeinte tenant un masque de théâtre et un bâton.

Erato était la protectrice de l'Amour et de la poésie romantique, ainsi que du mariage. Son nom lui vient du grec "Eros" en reference a la sensation qu’éprouve la personne qui tombe amoureuse. Elle est généralement représentee portant une Lyre, et parfois l'arc et les flèches de l'Amour.

Polymnia, protectrice des Hymnes religieux et de la poésie sacrée inventa la géométrie et la grammaire. Elle est souvent représentee regardant le ciel, jouant de la lyre.

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*Musiviale : se rapportant a la mosaïque. Les mots "mosaïque", "muse" et "musique" partagent la mème origine étymologique grecque. Si l'on remonte plus loin ils sont également apparentes au mot "Mantra"...

3 Muses in painting and mosaics

The Nine Muses have been inspiring artists since the antiquity and there are countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems and statues dedicated to them. Many artists of all times acknowledged their importance in artistic creation,  dedicating their works to them.

In this painting displayed in the Musee du Louvre, 17th century artist Eustache Lesueur represented 3 of them : Melpomene, Polymnia and Erato

The Roman mosaic of Vichten was manufactured 14 centuries before Lesueur around 240 AD in a specialised workshop in Trier. It is one of the most beautiful Roman representations of the nine Muses and an eloquent example of the philosophical and literary culture of the urban elites in Roman Gaul.

Melpomene, protector of Tragedy, invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat.

Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She is depicted holding a lyre and sometimes love arrows and bows.

Polymnia, protector of the divine hymns and mimic art, invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre.

 

 

 

I am a French mosaic artist based in Alabama. 

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9 Muses in mosaic.

The nine muses — Clio, Thalia, Erato, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Calliope, Terpsichore, Urania, and Melpomene — were often depicted in Mosaics.

Today I'd like to introduce the beautiful Muses of the mosaic which was unearthed in the Village of Vichten, close to Luxembourg in 1995. 

This mosaic can be admired at the Museum d'Histoire et d'Art de Luxembourg.

 

Clio invented History and the Cithar.

Thalia, protector of comedy also discovered geometry and agriculture.

Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding.

Euterpe, discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic.

Polyhymnia, protector of the divine hymns and mimic art invented geometry and grammar.

Calliope,  presiding over Epic Poetry, was Homer's personal muse.

 Terpsichore invented dances, the harp and education.

And Urania, over Astronomy. Those who are most concerned with philosophy and the heavens are dearest to her.

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work

or if you would like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  

or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 

 

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Mosaic Muses

The Muses (Ancient Greek: Μοῦσαι Mousai; perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- "think") in Greek mythology are the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, song-lyrics, and myths that were related orally for centuries in these ancient cultures. They were later adopted by the Romans as a part of their pantheon.

The Muses, the personification of knowledge and the arts, especially literature, dance and music, are the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (memory personified). Hesiod's account and description of the Muses was the one generally followed by the writers of antiquity. 

It was not until Roman times that the following functions were assigned to them, and even then there was some variation in both their names and their attributes: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flutes and lyric poetry), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (love poetry), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Urania (astronomy).

Muse	Domain	Emblem
Calliope	Epic Poetry	Writing tablet, Stylus, Lyre
Clio	History	Scrolls, Books, Cornet, Laurel wreath
Euterpe	Music, Song, Ellegiac Poetry	Aulos (an ancient Greek musical instrument like  a flute), panpipes, laurel wreath.
Aerato	Lyric Poetry	Cithara (an ancient Greek musical instrument  in the lyre family)
Melpomene	Tragedy	Tragic mask, Sword (or any kind of blade), Club, Kothornos  (boots)
Polyhymnia	Hymns	Veil, Grapes (referring to her as an agricultural  goddess)
Terpsichore	Dance	Lyre, Plectrum
Thalia	Comedy	Comic mask, Shepherd's crook (the vaudeville  act of pulling someone off the stage with a  hook is a reference to Thalia's crook),  Ivy wreath
Urania	Astronomy	Globe and compass

It is interesting to note that both words "Muse" and "Mosaic" share the same etymology. Medieval Latin "musaicum" literally meant "of the muses" and was used to designate what we later called "mosaic".

And so we know of many mosaics describing them 9 muses. 

A gorgeous Set was discovered in Zeugma, Turkey in 2014.

And an other amazing set in the Island of Rhodes.

And an amazing one was unearthed much more to the North in the Vilage of Viichter close to Luxembourg. 

In a next Post, I'll show you some individual portraits of our 9 Μοῦσαι.

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work

or if you would like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  

or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 

 

You can also

SUBSCRIBE to my

NEWSLETTER

to receive regular updates on my present

Yezidi Eyes Mosaic Project, 

and my work in general.