“Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene” is a painting created by British artist Simeon Solomon. Known for his incorporation of mythology and classical motifs with depictions of same-sex love and homosexuality, Solomon created this work during the late 19th century.
Depiction
The painting depicts the ancient Greek poets Sappho and Erinna, who were both renowned for their poetry and relationships with other women. Set in a lush, idyllic garden, the environment symbolizes a paradise or utopia, with the abundance of flowers representing the beauty and sensuality of their love. The women are shown holding hands and gazing at each other in a tender, intimate moment.
Aesthetic Movement
This painting exemplifies the Aesthetic movement in art, which prioritized beauty and sensuality above traditional moral or political values. Solomon’s use of symbolism and allegory in the painting reflects this emphasis, and his depiction of same-sex love was considered controversial during the time of its creation.
Historical Context
The painting is set in Mytilene, an island located in Lesbos, where Sappho was born in around 612BC. After a period of exile in Sicily, Sappho returned to the island and formed a community of young women devoted to Aphrodite and the Muses. However, it is now known that Erinna lived on the Dorian island of Télos and lived slightly later than Sappho, in the end of 4th century BC. Sappho’s nine books of poetry, of which only fragments survive, primarily dealt with the joys and frustrations of love.
Solomon’s Influence
The Tate collection includes a study for the head of Sappho, which was drawn two years before the watercolour. Solomon’s style is influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, specifically Rossetti and Burne-Jones, and the poet Swinburne, who was himself influenced by Sappho’s poetry. However, Solomon’s own sexual preferences led to his arrest for homosexual offences in 1873 and subsequent rejection by the very artists who had previously supported his work. The painting was purchased by James Leathart, who owned several other works by Solomon, all dating from the early 1860s.
