Muses Oversee the LOC

I was reading Carol Logan Newbill's blog "Elephant's Child" and followed a link to the Library of Congress catalog. And I was captured by the two small illustrations on the main page. SO I copied them and post them here for your viewing pleasure. And luckily they had this blurb explaining what the heck they are:

From the Library of Congress website: "Information about the images: Two pendentive paintings by Edward J. Holslag are displayed from the Librarian's Room (Librarian's Ceremonial Office) located in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. On the left, "Efficiunt clarum studio" (Study, the watchword of fame); on the right, "Dulce ante omnia musae" (The Muses, above all things, delightful). "
I had to look up the word pen·den·tive (pn-dntv)n.
A triangular section of vaulting between the rim of a dome and each adjacent pair of the arches that support it.

Aha! So the muses preside over the Library of Congress. Somehow that just tickles my fancy.
Now you know how I proceeded to waste a lovely 20minutes....oh my, how much time this blog reading can take, well worth it to stay inspired and in touch with interesting, creative people.