This painting, by the French artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (c. 1824-1898), depicts an ancient poet with a lyre in the process of seemingly receiving divine guidance or inspiration from an angelic being. Other than the artwork’s title of “The Poet,” and the ancient fashion featured by the artist, there are few identifiable details in the painting that provide explicit answers as to the persons depicted. Guesswork, however, can be used to try to nail down a semblance of an identity for the figures on the artist’s canvas.
Due to the proclivity of old painters to re-create Biblical scenes, it is reasonable to think that the artwork may depict an encounter between an angel and King David, who is associated with contributing to the authorship of the poetic Book of Psalms. Angels are mentioned in the Psalms, but there are no passages detailing a physical interaction between David and an angel similar to what is seen in the painting. In the Book of Chronicles, however, there is, indeed, a detailed personal interaction. The scriptures state, “David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces” (1 Chronicles 21:16, NRSVUE version). This particular passage, however, has no resemblance, whatsoever, to the painting.
For a non-Biblical interpretation of the artwork, one may surmise that the Greek-styled figure and the robed divine being may harken back to Greco-Roman poets and the Muses that gave them spiritual patronage. In particular, the scene is reminiscent of the relationship that the ancient poet, Hesiod (c. 8th century BCE), asserted that he had with the Muses. Hesiod claimed to have personally met the Muses on Mount Helicon in Boeotia, Greece. This was an encounter of godly significance, for the Muses were goddesses of craft and creativity, covering spheres of influence over interests such as arts, sciences and music. A fortuitous meeting, the generous goddesses bestowed on Hesiod great wisdom about the gods and infused him with a great talent for poetry. Speaking of himself, Hesiod, poetically wrote:
“And once they taught Hesiod fine singing, as he tended his lambs below holy Helicon…and they gave me a branch of springing bay to pluck for a staff, a handsome one, and they breathed into me wondrous voice, so that I should celebrate things of the future and things that were aforetime. And they told me to sing of the family of blessed ones who are for ever, and first and last always to sing of themselves” (Theogony, approximately line 29).
This description of Hesiod receiving divine inspiration from a Muse seems to fit the painting better that the textual evidence about King David and angels. Nevertheless, that is purely speculation. In the end, the figures in the artwork were left intentionally vague by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. As the painting was titled “The Poet,” it is more of an allegory that could represent any ancient writer of poetry, or an amalgamation of them all. Be it King David and an angel, or Hesiod and a Muse, the identity of “The Poet” is ultimately left up to the beholder.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Puvis-de-Chavannes
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/David
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2021%3A16&version=NRSVUE
- https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/NG.M.03644
