Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry

1798

Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry, 1798. Charles Meynier (French, 1768–1832). Oil on canvas; overall: 275 x 177 cm (108 1/4 x 69 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2003.6.4 The eldest of the nine Greek muses, Calliope was the goddess of music, song, and dance. She was also known as the goddess of epic poetry and conferred the gift of eloquence on kings and princes. She stands here before a bust of Homer, the ancient Greek poet who wrote the Odyssey and the Iliad. This painting belongs to a cycle of five works commissioned by businessman François Boyer-Fonfréde for his home in Toulouse. Through the assistance of his brother, a famous actor of the Comédie Française, Charles Meynier studied in the studio of François André Vincent, the principal rival of the master Jacques-Louis David