Comedy and tragedy masks
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The comedy and tragedy masks, also known as the drama masks, are a pair of masks, one crying and one laughing, that have widely come to represent the performing arts. Originating in the theatre of anc
A typical representation of the comedy and tragedy masks
Thalia (Muse)
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In Greek mythology, Thalia, also spelled Thaleia, was one of the Muses, the goddess who presided over comedy and idyllic poetry. In this context her name means "flourishing", because the praises in he
Comedy and tragedy masks
…The crying mask is often ascribed the name Melpomene, after the Muse of tragedy, sometimes abbreviated as Melpo, while the laughing mask is named for Thalia, the Muse of comedy, with the Muses often depicted holding their respective masks. Melpomene and Thalia were daughters of Zeus. Melpomene means a…
Roman statue of Thalia from Hadrian's villa, now at the Prado Museum (Madrid)
Thalia on an antique fresco from Pompeii