The Liberal Arts denote the seven branches of knowledge that initiate everyman into the life of learning. The concept is classical, but the term liberal arts and the division of 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.

This artwork consists of a group of ten paintings which is considered as a whole, a complete suite, called the Seven Liberal Arts Suite.

However each painting is intended to stand alone as a complete artwork with a concept and idea of its own integrity.

Each of the Five Carnegie libraries in Seattle have two paintings. The one referred to as the “reference painting” is similar in all five libraries. It depicts all seven branches of the liberal arts as well as an encyclopedic list of the great writers and thinkers and a general list of the great ideas.

The second painting is unique to each library, depicts in great detail, many important aspects of each of the Seven Liberal Arts.

The seven arts are shown in this manner, with the Quadrivium catagories shown paired with its complimentary art.

1. Rhetoric (art of communication)

2. Grammar (art of inventing and combining symbols)

3. Logic (art of thinking)

4. Arithmetic (theory of Number) and Music (application of the theory of number)

5. Geometry (Theory of Space) and Astronomy (Application of the theory of space)