Terpsichore the "Whirler" is the muse of dancing and is often seen dancing
with her
lyre and a plectrum, an instrument used for plucking stringed instruments.
By the river
god Achelous, she bore the Sirens.
Jean-Marc Nattier
French , 1685 - 1766
Terpsichore, Muse
of Music and Dance
circa 1739, oil on canvas
Mildred Anna Williams Collection
And when Terpsichore, with iris-plume,
Bade o'er her lute her rosy fingers fly;
'T was pleasure all--the fawns in mingled choirs,
Glanced on the willing nymphs their wanton fires,
Joy shook his glittering pinions as he flew;
The shout of rapture and the song of bliss,
The sportive titter and the melting kiss,
All blended with the smile, that shone like early
dew.
from An Ode To Music, by James G. Percival
