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And it never hurts to go that extra mile by slipping a nip. The Swiss artist Angelica Kauffmann depicts Sappho collaborating with Cupid on one of her well known verses. Famous for her lyric poetry and supposed lust for the ladies, Sappho was a popular figure in ancient Greece and during the Neoclassical art movement in Europe. In fact, the words “sapphic” and “lesbian” derive from the poet’s name and homeland, Lesbos, due to her rumored preference for women.
Tragically, nearly all of Sappho’s poetry has been lost, destroyed, or only exists on fragments of papyrus. But that doesn’t stop her from being the subject of Kauffmann’s painting. While most 18th century female artists specialized in portraiture or still life, Kauffmann embarked on an independent career as a history painter, choosing her subjects from classical antiquity. She was also one of the two female founding members of the London Royal Academy. Despite this prestige, as a woman Kauffmann wasn’t permitted to paint from live nude models like her male counterparts, so her figures were instead inspired by ancient sculpture.
When this painting was bought in 1928 by John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers Circus fame, its title was Lady as Venus with Cupid by her Side. Upon closer inspection, the Greek words on the female figure’s page translate to one of Sappho’s only surviving poems, Ode to Aphrodite. The poem in the painting reads,
“ So come again and deliver me
from intolerable pain.”
With this identity crisis resolved, the painting’s true meaning can be deciphered. In the poem, the Sappho calls on Aphrodite, goddess of love, to help her in pursuit of her crush. As Aphrodite’s son and fellow god of love, Cupid acts as a wingman (pun definitely intended) in Sappho's quest for love.
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Sappho Inspired by Love is an oil painting on canvas of 1775 by Angelica Kauffman, now in the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Florida, having been in John Ringling's collection.
Sappho is shown holding a parchment inscirbed "ἔλθε μοι καὶ νῦν, χαλέπαν δὲ λῦσον ἐκ μερίμναν" ('So come again and save me from unbearable pain'), the first lines of the last verse of her Ode to Aphrodite in ancient Greek from Joseph Addison's 1735 edition of the work.
A second version showing Sappho as an adult is a pendant to Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus; both were probably completed at the same time as the Florida work. It was presented as Mother and Child as Venus and Cupid at the 1783 Free Society of Artists exhibition in London and (unlike the Florida work) has a rocky landscape background with a volcano reminiscent of that in Sappho Gives Anacreon a Feather from Cupid's Wing by Antonio Zucchi, Kauffman's future husband.
On being exhibited at the 1775 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition the work now in Florida was simply entitled Sappho, though from an unknown date until 1971 it was mistitled Woman as Venus with Cupid and Virgin and Child. It was probably then acquired by John Baker Holroyd, remaining in his family until it was sold at Christie's in 1928.
Check out the full Wikipedia article about Sappho Inspired by Love
This piece of artwork is very impressive. Incorporating cupid and its relation to ancient Greece (classical times) shows how this is a neoclassical painting. I like the symbol and theme of the painting, giving meaning to the piece.
This is a fantastic example of a neoclassical painting by Angelica Kauffmann. This is a fantastic example of a neoclassical painting because of how the woman (Sappho) is dressed as well as Cupid by her side. Sappho is dressed in Ancient Greek/Roman clothing and Cupid by her side is the god of love in Rome. Personally, the way Sappho is gesturing to her paper and seeming to look to Cupid for approval gives the painting a sense of realism and life to me.