An 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Bronze Figure of a Muse, in a contrapposto pose and raised on an oval base; Cf, The 3rd c. BC Greek original and later 2nd c. Roman copy (Hellenistic-Antonine) of The Muse of History, Klio, currently in the Walters Museum, Baltimore. In Greek myth and culture, the Muses were honored as beautiful goddesses who brought inspiration to artists. In the Hellenistic period, the Muses were widely depicted. Here, the sensuality of the maiden’s form, her pose, and the elaborately draped clothing are distinctly Hellenistic