Nine Muses

Remarkable fine art in the Emperor's palace of Achilleion, Corfu/Kerkyra

Situated in the Village of Gastouri, near the capital city of Kerkyra, The Achilleion Palace was inhabited by two prominent figures from European history: Empress Elisabeth of Austria – Sissi, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. She built the palace to escape from tragedies in her life; he purchased it after her untimely death, but a war never allowed him to enjoy it. The garden surrounding the palace is in every way equal, if not more interesting. It is often called Garden of Statues. The Peristyle of the Muses is of the Ionic style and took its name from the statues of the nine muses. Some of the statues were bought by the Austrian consul in Corfu/Kerkyra, Alexander Warsberg, from Naples, other by the Empress Elizabeth from Villa Borgese in Rome.

In Greek mythology muses are a sisterhood of goddesses, who embody the arts and inspire creativity with their graces through song, stage, writing, music and dance. Muses are all daughters of the king of the gods Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne.

B&W version

Melpomene (chanting one) – Muse of tragedy. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:22am   NIKON D80   F.length 62.0mm (35mm eq. 93.0mm)   1/200s   f/5.0   ISO 100 Melpomene (chanting one) – Muse of tragedy.		Terpsichore (one, who delights in dance) – Muse of choral song and dance. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:21am   NIKON D80   F.length 65.0mm (35mm eq. 97.0mm)   1/250s   f/5.0   ISO 100 Terpsichore (one, who delights in dance) – Muse of choral song and dance.		Euterpe (well-pleasing one) – Muse of music and lyric poetry. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:21am   NIKON D80   F.length 65.0mm (35mm eq. 97.0mm)   1/250s   f/5.0   ISO 100 Euterpe (well-pleasing one) – Muse of music and lyric poetry.
Urania (celestial one) – Muse of astronomy. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:21am   NIKON D80   F.length 80.0mm (35mm eq. 120.0mm)   1/200s   f/5.3   ISO 100 Urania (celestial one) – Muse of astronomy.		Thalia (blossoming one) – Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:21am   NIKON D80   F.length 80.0mm (35mm eq. 120.0mm)   1/160s   f/5.3   ISO 100 Thalia (blossoming one) – Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry.		Erato (amorous one) –  Muse of love or erotic poetry, lyrics, and marriage songs. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:19am   NIKON D80   F.length 135.0mm (35mm eq. 202.0mm)   1/125s   f/5.6   ISO 100 Erato (amorous one) –  Muse of love or erotic poetry, lyrics, and marriage songs.
Clio (glorious one) – Muse of history. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:19am   NIKON D80   F.length 112.0mm (35mm eq. 168.0mm)   1/160s   f/5.6   ISO 100 Clio (glorious one) – Muse of history.		Polyhymnia (singer of many hymns) – Muse of sacred song, oratory, lyric, singing and rhetoric. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 10:19am   NIKON D80   F.length 135.0mm (35mm eq. 202.0mm)   1/125s   f/5.6   ISO 100 Polyhymnia (singer of many hymns) – Muse of sacred song, oratory, lyric, singing and rhetoric.		Calliope (beautiful of speech one) – Chief of the muses and muse of epic or heroic poetry. {sc1}5 Jun 2008 11:19am   NIKON D80   AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED [II] at 200.0mm (35mm eq. 300.0mm)   1/160s   f/5.6   ISO 100 Calliope (beautiful of speech one) – Chief of the muses and muse of epic or heroic poetry.

5 Jun 2008