Eight Muse Sculptures Return Restored to Sanssouci Park in Potsdam

Eight Muse sculptures have been reinstalled in the western pleasure garden of Park Sanssouci in Potsdam after a six-month restoration. The Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg announced their return to their pedestals. Created by Berlin sculptor Friedrich Christian Glume (1714-1752), with Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff (1699-1753) credited as the conceptual originator, the figures represent Greek mythology's daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus. Each Muse holds distinctive attributes: Kaliope with a book and stylus for heroic song, Terpsichore with a tambourine for dance, Euterpe originally with two flutes for lyric poetry, Thalia with castanets and scroll for comedy, Melpomene with book, crown, and dagger for tragedy, Erato with wind instrument, five-stringed lyre, and helmet for love song, Klio with book and quill for history, and Polyhymnia with a writing tablet for song. Historically, nine Muses were named by Hesiod in the 7th century BC, but the Potsdam rondell lacks Urania, the Muse of astronomy. Restoration involved repairing damage, cleaning discoloration, securing loose parts, and applying a protective glaze. The sculptures' condition was poor in the 19th century, leading to copies of Thalia and Melpomene; their last restoration occurred from 1991 to 1998. A drawing in the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett depicts the eight Muses with their attributes, and Glume's final years roughly coincide with their creation period.