1860
oil
canvas
From the collection of Hungarian National Gallery
Sappho is a 1860 oil by Soma Orlai Petrich, a Realism work, held at Hungarian National Gallery.
This painting shows a woman sitting on a rocky outcrop, wearing a white blouse with puffy sleeves and a red skirt. She has dark hair and is holding a lyre, a stringed instrument, in her lap. Her right hand rests on the lyre's body, while her left hand supports her head. The background features a body of water, possibly the sea, with cliffs in the distance. The sky above is cloudy. The woman's pose and the presence of the lyre suggest that she might be a musician or a poet. The painting's style and the subject's attire evoke a sense of classicism. To learn more about the artist's use of light and shadow, explore the technique of chiaroscuro.
Soma Orlai Petrich, aka Soma Orlay-Petrich (October 22, 1822, Mezőberény - June 5, 1880, Budapest) was a Hungarian painter famous for his historical paintings and portraits.
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