Sappho

Roman School

BUST OF SAPPHO
Marble
Rome, first half of 19th century

H 53,5 x W 25 x D 25 cm
(21 x 9 7/8 x 9 7/8 in.)
ALR: S00248041


This finely executed marble bust depicts Sappho, the celebrated lyric poetess of antiquity, revered since classical times as the embodiment of refined poetic expression. The work, carved in luminous white marble, exemplifies the Neoclassical idiom prevalent in early 19th-century Rome, in both its idealised physiognomy and its iconographic restraint.

The figure’s youthful, serene visage is framed by soft, symmetrical waves of hair, partially concealed beneath a veil that falls gracefully across the shoulders. A finely detailed wreath of laurel—symbol of poetic achievement and immortality—crowns the head, its leaves deeply undercut and knotted in an elegant bow at the back. The veil, rendered with delicately carved folds, enhances the sense of solemn dignity. The bust terminates in a smooth truncation above the chest, emerging from a turned pedestal base bearing the incised name SAPPHO on its cartouche.

The choice of Sappho (7th century BC, Lesbos) as subject aligns with early 19th-century neoclassical taste for personifications of classical genius—particularly female figures associated with intellect, music, and virtue. Rather than attempting a historically accurate portrait, the sculptor evokes an idealised image of the poetess as a timeless muse, embodying grace and introspective lyricism. The veiled head and laurel wreath suggest a quasi-sacral status, possibly echoing Roman depictions of muses or Sibyls.

This bust was likely intended for a domestic or academic interior, possibly as part of a sculptural series celebrating ancient literary and philosophical figures. Produced in Rome—a major centre of marble carving and the Grand Tour during the early 19th century—the piece exemplifies the refined neoclassical aesthetic that appealed to an educated European clientele.
Comparable examples include neoclassical busts of poets and philosophers produced by Roman workshops such as those of Antonio d’Este, Benedetto Boschetti, Cincinnato Baruzzi and Pietro Tenerani, though unsigned examples such as this one were also frequently sculpted for export.