Eight female figures adorn the arches of the main reading room in the Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. History, Science, Religion, Philosophy, Art, Poetry, Law, and Commerce. Below each Goddess are two men (16 in total) who have been chosen from the annals of history. 

Plato – philosophy, Moses – religion, Beethoven and Michelangelo – art, Shakespeare – poetry, Solon – law, Newton – science. They are an eclectic mix of men who have contributed to western civilisation and embody the fruits of divine inspiration. 

Although no human women are represented, the sacred feminine infuses the entire building with her presence. From Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge, to the three graces, four seasons, and five senses. 

There are also the eight women of science: chemistry, zoology, astronomy, geology, botany, physics, mathematics, and archeology. And eight women of literature: erotica, fancy, tragedy, comedy, history, romance, tradition, and lyrica. 

But most important is the female figure found at the center of the dome, the ninth muse, the muse of muses. The Goddess Isis.