The Muses face us. We don’t know it yet, but later we’ll realize that they are Calliope, Muse of epic poetry; Clio, Muse of history; Thalia, Muse of comedy; Terpsichore, Muse of dance; Melpomene, Muse of tragedy. Clio holds a scroll to represent history, and Melpomene carries a tragedy mask. They may not be the first thing we see when we look at the vase, but they’re soon the only thing. Perhaps it’s a little reminder that the word museum means ‘home of the Muses’. They own this space, and we are their audience.
