Sappho
Artist
James Pradier
(French, 1790 - 1852)
CultureFrench
Dateca. 1852
MediumBronze
Dimensions33 x 30 x 15 3/4 in. (83.8 x 76.2 x 40 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Mowbray Arch Society, 2012
Object number2012.16
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 208
Label TextJames Pradier French, 1790–1852 Sappho, ca. 1852 Bronze Beauty overcome by melancholy—this is the essence of James Pradier’s vision of the ancient Greek writer Sappho, who was famous in antiquity for her lyric poetry on the themes of love and passion. Pradier shows her in a flowing Greek tunic rich with rippling folds, her hair pulled back and her jewelry polished to a golden gloss. She is young and beautiful, but lost in thought, her head bowed and her pen, scroll, and lyre untouched. Legend has it that Sappho, rejected in love, committed suicide. Could she be contemplating that fatal act here? Gift of the Mowbray Arch Society 2012.16 ProvenanceShepherd and Derom Galleries, New York, NY; Purchase of the Mowbray Arch Society for Chrysler Museum of Art, December 4, 2012.Exhibition History"Mowbray Arch Society 2012," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, November 28 - December 5, 2012.
Unknown
10th century A.D.
