Von Saphos der poeta · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Saphos der poeta
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Poetry; Lyre; Literature; Sappho
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Lesbos
Description: This engraving depicts Sappho, the famous poetess from Lesbos, sitting in the foreground while playing the lyre. We know that this is Sappho as her name is engraved beside her head. There are other stringed instruments and sheet music surrounding her. Sappho was in love with a man (depicted on the right-hand side of the engraving) who did not share the mutual feelings. Boccaccio explains that this is the reason as to why her poems and music verses were so somber.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18033
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_18033_OBJ.png