The Seven Liberal Arts Suite

Description: The Liberal Arts denote the seven branches of knowledge that initiate everyone into a life of learning. The concept is classical, but the term Liberal Arts and the division of these arts into the Trivium and Quadrivium date from the Middle Ages. Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric comprise the Trivium.  Arithmetic, Music, Geometry and Astronomy constitute the Quadrivium. 

Two paintings featuring the Seven Liberal Arts were created for each of the five Carnegie libraries for a total of ten pieces. The group of ten paintings is considered as a whole, a complete suite, called the Seven Liberal Arts Suite. However, each painting may stand alone as a complete artwork with a concept and idea all its own. One of the paintings at each branch is known as a reference painting and is similarly composed in all five libraries. It depicts all seven branches of the liberal arts as well as an encyclopedic list of great writers and thinkers and a general list of their great ideas. The second painting, unique to each library, depicts in great detail, many important aspects of one or two of the liberal arts. 

Location: (multiple branches) Fremont, 731 North 35th Street; Green Lake, 7364 East Green Lake Drive North; Queen Anne, 400 West Garfield Street; University, 5009 Roosevelt Way; West Seattle, 2306 42nd Avenue South