• Bertel Thorvaldsen

  1770-1844

• Authenticity

  Posthumously done

The Dance of the Muses on Helicon

• Production Date

  No earlier than March 25, 1844

• Type of Work / Object

  Sculpture > Relief

• Location

  • Denmark > Copenhagen > Thorvaldsens Museum > Main Floor > Room 3

• Inventory Number

  A340

• Catalogue Number

  A340

• Catalogue Level / Collection

  Thorvaldsen's Art > Thorvaldsen's Sculptures (A)

Explanation

• Like the three Graces, the nine Muses are daughters of Jupiter. They live on Mount Helicon in Greece near the fountain of Hippocrene and are the goddesses of artistic inspiration. There is a festival when the god of the sun makes his way past Mount Helicon, and it is just such an occasion that the relief portrays. On a small mound in the middle of the relief we also see the three naked Graces. This is an adaptation of a relief that Thorvaldsen modelled as early as 1804.

Motif / Theme

• Human > Goddess > Muse > Erato
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Euterpe
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Calliope
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Kleio / Clio
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Melpomene
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Ourania / Urania
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Polymnia / Polyhymnia
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Terpsichore
• Human > Goddess > Muse > Thalia / Thaleia
• Nature > Mountain > Helicon

Additional Catalogue Information