Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia is depicted in classical drapery, holding the caduceus of Mercury in her right hand to symbolize eloquence. She holds a scroll in her left hand, with a large volume resting at her feet against a rocky backdrop. Her focused yet serene expression reflects her traditional role as the muse of meditation and memory.

This work reflects the Renaissance Neoplatonic synthesis of the Muses with the Liberal Arts, specifically linking Polyhymnia to Rhetoric through the attribute of the caduceus. The Muses were central to the theory of 'divine frenzy' or poetic inspiration, a concept revived by Marsilio Ficino to explain how the human soul ascends toward divine truths.