The Muse Terpsichore 1655

Curator: The work before us is Eustache Le Sueur’s "The Muse Terpsichore," an oil painting created around 1655. You'll find it here in the Louvre. Editor: It feels, initially, very poised. She's a serene goddess interrupted during a smoke break on set, a bit bored but radiantly gorgeous, isn't she? Curator: Yes, and the oval format and composition serve to monumentalize her presence within this allegorical painting, one steeped in classical allusions. The titular Terpsichore, Muse of dance and choral song, is iconographically represented by her laurel wreath and the musical triangle in her hand. Observe the way light models her form. Editor: The light is almost reverential. The rendering of fabric too...I feel like I could reach out and touch that salmon-colored drape that’s swallowing up most of the bottom. I wonder what kind of dance Terpsichore likes. Something sweeping, probably, or maybe it is an ode to silent raves! She feels like she’d be a trance kinda Muse! Curator: Indeed. We note the significance of the trees surrounding the figure, their placement deliberately creating an idyllic Arcadia—a popular conceit among classicizing artists. The brushwork around her head also bears specific intention as they create an almost perfect circle from the olive branches as it encircles her and adds a visual completion to the upper region of the painting. The entire oval becomes unified. Editor: I see her in a secret forest gig, somewhere in contemporary Greece. Headlining, obvs! All kidding aside, she looks tired here; the painting somehow evokes weariness despite all that implied glory and the rich materiality you pointed out. It makes her approachable. Curator: Your point on her “approachability” is astute, given Le Sueur’s general eschewal of bombastic baroque styles in favor of more restrained compositions and coloring... the piece embodies a sense of contained yet accessible majesty. Editor: It makes the old stories fresh. Well, I, for one, am off to make up dance moves worthy of our girl Terpsichore! Curator: Then perhaps the Muse has indeed inspired you—a success for art and its ongoing power.