Calliope

Fagnani, Giuseppe (1819-1873)


Item type:
painting
Date of creation:
19th century
Height:
110.3 cm  (43 7/16 in.)
Width:
83.8 cm  (33 in.)
Signature: [at lower left]: J.F. Inscription: [at upper left]: KAAAIOHH [in Greek]
Technique / Medium:
oil on canvas

    Item location

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
    American Paintings and Sculpture[Museum inv. no.: 74.43]

Description

The Muse of Epic Poetry holding a partially unrolled manuscript of Homer's "Illiad" in her right hand and an historical trumpet in her left.

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Trumpet [4446] (Historical)

RIdIM images


Image URLs

image link 1

Notes

This is one of a series of nine paintings depicting American society belles as Muses (all at the Metropolitan Museum of New York). According to contemporary accounts, the project was intended to prove that American women were as beautiful as their European counterparts. The model for "Calliope" was Miss Lizzie Wadsworth, the youngest daughter of General James S. Wadsworth of Geneseo, New York

RIdIM record id

3213