Important 17th Century Genoese School Painting, The Nine Muses

(Italian, mid 17th century)

Apollo and the Nine Muses, circa 1650, unsigned, oil on canvas, 81-1/2 x 92-3/4 in. (205.1 x 233.1 cm.); gilt wood frame, 86-3/4 x 97-5/8 x 3 in.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, January 30, 1998, lot 261, sold for $233,500; Property from the Collection of Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter

Note: The 17th century marked the birth of the word "museum" the stem of which can be traced back to the original Greek. The Online Etymology Dictionary states that the word museum is derived from Greek mouseion, a "place of study, library or museum, school of art or poetry, originally "a temple or shrine of the Muses," which is also derived from Mousa or "Muse". The subject became popular as a subject for paintings, emblematic of status associated with the arts, science, and literature.
The Nine Muses, here flanking the central character, Apollo, were the beautiful daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. They are shown with the Castelian spring in the foreground, an ancient source of inspiration (located in Delphi, near the Temple of Apollo.) The traditional names and specialties of the nine Muses are: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry, lyric art), Euterpe (music, especially flute), Melpomene (tragedy), Polymnia (hymns), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), Urania (astronomy). Some are shown with their identifying attributes. One holds a book with the Latin word Suadere, translated to 'persuade or advise.'
Under the tutelage of Apollo, the Muses inspired creativity in ancient texts including Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey, and in paintings, sculpture, and architecture.

References: https://www.etymonline.com/word/museum
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muse-Greek-mythology
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103R7F
Condition Report: lined and strip lined, crackle, repairs, retouch; frame with resurfacing