PictureBook – The Cruelty Of The Innocents – Muse – By Benamon Tame

‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents – Muse’ – ©Benamon Tame

Muse – once the newest and prettiest of toys, she was the first to suffer at the games of the others when the room was closed. She still tries to smile with what they have left her, and they still tell her she is beautiful, but the words now come from stolen lips and the smiles behind stolen eyes

Muse was one of the last toys to enter the Toy Room before it was closed. Her skin was finest china and her dress finest Parisian fashion but with the turning of a key it was all for nought. When Muse awoke she carried with her all the airs and graces of the stories her owner had wove around her. At first Muse had courted the eyes of the Toy Room with her style but the others soon tired of her and she lost them first to the kindness of Eloise and then to the cruelty of Loki.

‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents. Typewriter remix’ – ©Benamon Tame

With cold and empty beauty her only companions, Muse was one of the first to catch the eye of Loki and fall victim to his games. What survived was barely Muse but in the moment of defeat she was saved by Grub.

Grub served in the court of Loki, playing the fool and all else that Loki desired, but took pity on Muse and was allowed to take her under his protection and save her from the hands of Syster or Babel as was usually the fate of those who lost. Loki gained another control over Grub and a further humiliation for Muse.

‘Unrequited’ – ©Benamon Tame

Grub put Muse back together as best he could and now tends to her. Grub tells her of her beauty and all that might make her happy. Muse cannot thank Grub for his kindness for her old self would not have done so and that is the last portion of her old self that remains. So she smiles with what they left her with and watches her memories with borrowed eyes.

‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents. Red Muse’ – ©Benamon Tame

The name for Muse is taken from Greek Mythology, The Muses were nine ( though some stories number them three or four) Goddesses of inspiration of the arts, science and literature. Muse was an inspiration for the toy room but her vanity hid her insecurity and shallowness.Broken by Loki, she became not only the Muse for Grub but also a salvation for him. She represents all that he did wrong or allowed to happen under Loki, in caring for her he can make some amends and maybe they can find themselves in each other.

‘Muse 1’ – ©Benamon Tame

I posted the story of Grub a couple of weeks ago and had intended to follow up with Muse but held back because i wasn’t sure about the image. I had a couple of other toys i needed to get out of my head so put Muse to one side and promised to come back. The initial concept of the toy room was of vintage toys, a victorian/edwardian with the pieces holding that other aesthetic. The base toy for Muse was one of my daughters Barbie heads (the big ones for doing their hair) and as much as i altered it i still felt it did not hold that aesthetic. As I have carried on with the series I have been able to draw more on my own vintage dolls (!) and after several dead ends had a new Muse. I have included my first Muse and the almost…

‘Muse Almosts’ – ©Benamon Tame

Apps Used: Juxtaposer. Iris Photosuite, Pictureshow, Blender, BlurFX, Diptic, Snapseed, Lo-Mob, ScratchCam