View of The Muses of Inspiration Hail the Spirit, The Messenger of Light, left side

Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre, 1824-1898 · [ca. 1893–1896]

View of The Muses of Inspiration Hail the Spirit, The Messenger of Light, the 16'x50' panel running along the Bates Hall entrance wall. The view depicts the left portion of this long panel, showing five muses and a tablet bearing the title of the piece. The figures and perspective were rendered in a particularly "flat" manner so as to remain faithful to classical fresco painting, in which the rendering was meant to retain its identity as the surface of a wall.