19th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculpture In Alabaster Muse Melpomene

Italian alabaster sculpture from the mid-19th century in Neoclassical style depicting Melpomene, the muse of tragedy. The statue reproduces one of the Tiburtine Muses, part of the group found in 1774 in an excavation near Tivoli, in the Villa of Cassius and now preserved in the Vatican Museums; these small sculptures imitating famous classical examples, characterized by their high formal quality and appearance similar to ancient marble, were highly sought after by the market and by travelers on the Grand Tour.

In Greek mythology, Melpomene (in ancient Greek: Μελπομένη, Melpomènē) was the muse of tragedy, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne (that is, of power and memory). She is also known to us for her relationship with Dionysus. Her name, in fact, is derived from the Greek μέλπομαι, which means "celebrate with dances and songs".

She is often depicted with a tragic mask and wearing buskins, traditional tragic sandals; in addition, she often carries a knife or a stick, while on her head she may wear a cypress crown. Her gaze is often severe and serious: with this, the muse indicates that tragedy is a difficult, powerful art, which requires great ingenuity but above all a lot of imagination. Some traditions say that from the union of Melpomene with Achelous, a river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, the Sirens were born, mythological beings with the head of a woman and the body of a bird, who with their singing attract sailors and then lead them to certain death.

Good state of preservation, small signs of aging.

Measure
H cm 35

Shipping in a custom wooden crate with DHL or UPS couriers.