Sappho and Alcaeus by Sir Denys Page6/11/2023 ![]() ![]() Sappho (630 – 570 BC) was considered the greatest female poet of ancient Greece. ![]() Punch described it as “marbellous,” a play on the words marvelous and marble.”. This painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1881 and was highly praised by critics. The ancient text tells the story about Sappho, and her companions listen rapturously to the poet Alcaeus as he plays a “kithara.” ![]() This painting was inspired by a passage by the ancient Greek poet Hermesianax (about 330 BC), which is set on the island of Lesbos, in the late 7th century BC. In the background, the Aegean Sea can be seen through the trees. ![]() The white marble seating is based on the “Theater of Dionysus” in Athens, but the artist has replaced the original inscribed names of Athenians with the names of Sappho’s friends. Sappho is paying close attention to the performance, resting her arm on a cushion which bears a laurel wreath, intended as a gift for the performer. “Sappho and Alcaeus” by Lawrence Alma-Tadema depicts the poet Alcaeus of Mytilene playing the kithara for the poet Sappho, accompanied by several of her female friends. “Sappho and Alcaeus” by Lawrence Alma-Tadema ![]()
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