Sappho at Leucate 1801

"Sappho at Leucate" (1801) by Antoine-Jean Gros depicts the legendary Greek poet Sappho standing on a cliff at the edge of the sea, about to leap to her death. Sappho is said to have thrown herself off the cliffs of Leucate after being rejected by her love, Phaon. The painting evokes a sense of tragedy and despair, with Sappho’s dramatic pose and the stormy sea acting as a backdrop. Gros's style, characteristic of the Neoclassical era, is evident in the composition and the focus on the human figure.