Two Muses (Erato and Melpomene)

In Greek mythology, the Muses were the nine goddesses of creative inspiration in the arts, each having her own sphere of influence. One may be Thalia, the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, usually shown with a mask and a musical instrument, while the other is likely Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, typically shown with a mask and small horn. Thalia plays a lyre placed on a small altar dedicated to Deo. Max., possibly the sun god, Apollo. This composition is based on a fresco in the Strozzi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella, painted between 1493/94 and 1502 by Filippino Lippi, a leading Florentine painter. It has been attributed to an unknown member of Filippino's workshop, who is called Master of Memphis, named for another important work attributed to him, Saint Francis in Glory now in Memphis (Brooks Museum). We are grateful to Jonathan Nelson for clarifying the attribution and date of this work.