Sappho 

Jules Joseph Lefebvre painted ‘Sappho’ using oil on canvas, a medium with a long and established tradition in fine art. Notice how the artist's technique emphasizes a smooth, almost porcelain-like finish. This was achieved through careful layering and blending of pigments, a process that demanded immense skill and patience. The goal was to minimize the visibility of brushstrokes, creating a sense of idealized beauty. But Lefebvre's choice of material speaks to a very specific moment in art history. Oil paint had become a commodity, readily available to artists working in a market increasingly driven by consumer taste. The smooth, polished surface reflects the values of academic painting in the 19th century. When we consider the materials and making of this painting, it encourages us to look beyond the image of Sappho herself, and consider the wider social and economic context in which Lefebvre was working. It reminds us that even the most seemingly timeless works of art are shaped by their time.