Death of Sappho 1870

Gustave Moreau painted 'Death of Sappho', an oil on canvas, sometime in the 19th century. Moreau, working in the height of the Romantic era, looked to the past to create an image of the Ancient Greek poet Sappho. Sappho, a woman, writing love poetry, likely about women, was a powerful symbol for the late 19th century when the concept of female genius was emerging. The presumed subject of her affection, Phaon, is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Moreau depicts Sappho with a lyre, and a mythological figure of Eros flies above her, suggesting themes of love, longing, and perhaps unattainable desires. Sappho’s death then becomes an emblem of the tragic cost of forbidden love, her suicide, a radical act of autonomy. Moreau’s painting acknowledges the cultural fascination with Sappho as a figure who challenged societal norms, inviting viewers to reflect on the personal and societal implications of love, desire, and artistic expression.