Sappho

Gustave Moreau

1872

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism symbolism Late 19th Century Mythology

About this work

The painting shows a woman standing on a cliff, looking out at the sea. She's holding a lyre, a traditional symbol of poets. The woman is Sappho, a poet from ancient Greece. This painting is interesting because it's one of three scenes that tell a story about Sappho's life. It's based on a mythological story about her losing her lover. To learn more about the style of this painting, look into the technique of chiaroscuro.