“DANCING WITH THE MUSES” refers to Louis Janmot’s oil paintings produced in 1835-1855 as a series “Le Poème de l’âme” (“The Poem of the Soul”), all of which featured at the Universal Exposition of 1855 in Paris. Louis Janmot (1814–1892) was also a refined poet, and the series is accompanied by an epic poem of almost three thousand lines. The cycle of eighteen paintings tells the story of the early years of the Soul on Earth, in which the Soul is presented in the image of a man who is given a female companion. A person of a deep Catholic faith, Janmot composed both the paintings and the poem in accordance with his religious beliefs.

The oil paintings of “Le Poème de l’âme” reveal the mystic journey of a child growing into a man and his relationship with his dual Soul, portrayed as a female. Together, they appear to be brother and sister, at times even lovers, wandering the Earth and journeying through the skies, striving to achieve the ideals of life, both earthly and spiritual. Once in the forest, the couple falls asleep, having a dream of nine angels ascending and descending a staircase, leading to heaven. In this perpetual cycle, each of the Muses, graceful and alluring, carries her own particular symbol of the arts. On an early autumn day, the pair joins other young people in a dance, signifying the passage of time and the rites of early adulthood. When a boy reaches manhood, his “sister Soul” intends to depart and return to heaven. For the last time, they fly over high mountains, and the young man trembles with joy and yet quivers from an intense wave of fear. She tells him that he cannot follow her, pulls back the veil of clouds separating them from heaven, and disappears forever, leaving the young man alone on Earth.

The deep longing of the human Soul is to find home, even without clear understanding where home is—possibly in the higher realms, where the Muses freely roam, delighting the gods, inspiring humans with their dances, poems, and songs, and encouraging artists to reach greater artistic heights. The Soul’s innate calling to bring forth a talent, to move away from ordinary human existence and fulfill the Divine here on Earth is central to understanding “Dancing with the Muses.”—Diana Guber, “Dancing With the Muses,” 2020. Copyright© 2020. All Rights Reserved. 🎶 🎶 🎶