Nouvelles méditations poétiques (1826), Representation of: Sappho

Title: Nouvelles méditations poétiques (1826), Representation of: Sappho
Rights: The British Museum, London, UK. © The Trustees of the British Museum. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Creator: James Henry Watt (1799-1867), after Alexandre Joseph Desenne (1785-1827)
Date: ca. 1826
Description: Sappho is in stride to the edge of the cliff she intends to leap off of, relating to the tale/play about her committing suicide after Phaon rejects her. The sea is visible below on the left side. She is in light dress/robes. Dark fabric is draped around her right shoulder and behind her, trailing on the ground. She holds a lyre in her right hand, resting near her upper chest. Her left arm is outstretched behind her in despair as she looks slightly to the left, behind where she intends to leap. Her hair is down, partly behind her shoulders, with a laurel crown atop her head.
Format: Etching and engraving on paper. 10.2 × 7.6 in.
Publisher: The British Museum
Contributor: Shenai Beyale
Identifier: The British Museum. 1894,0417.428.
Subject: Sappho; lyre; cliff; Leucas; illustration; tragedy; Phaon
Source: Jpg file. The British Museum. 11/9/2025. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1894-0417-428