The Muse

I've often wondered about the women who have inspired many a creative legends through history and time. Greek mythology has it that artistic inspiration came from one of the 9 muses. Deities that give men the inspiration to create.

Modern art and literature however owes a great deal to women who were more tangible that deities. Women who were in close proximity to these artists and writers. What Beatrice was to Dante, what Fanny Brawne was to John Keats, what Zelda Sayre was to Scott Fitzgerald, what Marie-Thérèse Walter was to Picasso is what contributed to the creation of some of the best works in the world of art and literature. These are to name just a few.

These women were more often than not considered to be of questionable character. They were known for their incredible looks, smart minds, loving hearts and/or sometimes just for how they connected with these artists. They lit a fire that could not be extinguished. They provided an outlet to put into words unspoken feelings and raw emotions. They funneled and fueled the unquenchable thirst only an artist could comprehend. They inspired and motivated these men to create works of art that would be revered by generations to come.

Yet some of them were used and discarded, others were tainted and called characterless and some were long forgotten like they never existed. They had no control on the end product that these artists created yet they were the process. One could argue that theirs is a story of sabotage, self inflicted pain and suffering for something that would never be theirs.


If we go by what literature exists on these women and their creative aspirations for the artists they inspired, theirs is a story of intrigue, passion and pain. If we kept aside judgement and stepped away from the moral ethos of our times, this is a compelling tale. The tale of women who have inspired art, literature and all tangible manifestations of creativity.

So, here's to the women, who loved and lost......

P.S:  On a side note, how come only Men had muses ? What inspired the women? ;)