Illustration
Sappho and Alcaeus, oil on panel by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1881. The painting illustrates a passage by the ancient Greek poet Hermesianax (active c. 330 BCE) depicting a scene on the island of Lesbos (Mytilene) during the late 7th century BCE, where Sappho and her companions are enraptured by the performance of the poet Alcaeus playing a kithara. Alma-Tadema made an effort to maintain authenticity by replicating the marble seating of the Theater of Dionysos in Athens. Nevertheless, he replaced the names of the officials incised on the Athenian prototype with those of members of Sappho's sorority.
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
Related Images
Statue of Artemis from Mytilene
Sappho of Lesbos, Palazzo Massimo
Sappho of Lesbos, Smyrna
Apollo Playing the Kithara
Apollo Holding a Kithara
Roman Aqueduct, Lesbos
Cite This Work
APA Style
Alma-Tadema, S. L. (2023, April 26). Sappho and Alcaeus (Painting). World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17327/sappho-and-alcaeus-painting/
Chicago Style
Alma-Tadema, Sir Lawrence. "Sappho and Alcaeus (Painting)." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 26, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17327/sappho-and-alcaeus-painting/.
MLA Style
Alma-Tadema, Sir Lawrence. "Sappho and Alcaeus (Painting)." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Apr 2023. Web. 24 Mar 2025.
