#marble bench

Considered among Poynter’s more important works, Lesbia and her Sparrow immediately met with critical approval when shown at the Royal Academy in 1907. Poynter, who is regarded second only to his friend and mentor Frederic Lord Leighton as a master of Victorian classicism, invariably portrayed scenes from Antiquity. While some were based on Greco-Roman mythology others, as here, were inspired by its literature and specific historical figures. The story of Lesbia and her Sparrow was told by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84-54 B.C.), who referred to Lesbia in 25 of his surviving 116 poems. Lesbia is generally considered by scholars to represent Clodia Metelli (b. c. 95 BC), wife of Metellus Celer, who of noble birth was known for her beauty, her talent as a poetess but also for her scandalous lifestyle, counting among her many lovers Catullus himself. Theirs however was no simple love story but was beset with bitter jealousy and remorse. To this end the poet immortalized her in the guise of Lesbia in impassioned verse and referred to her bird in such lines as “Sparrow! my pet’s delicious joy, Wherewith in bosom nurst to toy. She loves, and gives her finger-tip. For sharp-nib’d greeding neb to nip”. At the height of their affair the sparrow, who eventually died, is considered to symbolize the poet’s enduring love and may also convey erotic connotations. Although present day admirers of Poynter’s work might assume that Lesbia’s name was linked to her sexual inclinations, it was in fact a common Roman name and one chosen by the Latin poet because it had an identical metrical value to that of his great love Clodia. In addition, the name Lesbia carried literary associations with the Greek 7th century BC lyric poet Sappho who lived on the island of Lesbos and whose work Catullus much admired.

A scene from William Morris' epic poem, 'The Earthly Paradise'.

'Ask me no more', which takes its title from a poem by the Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson, is a quintessential Alma-Tadema subject. In fact he treated it so often that it is probably the one with which he is most closely associated: a pair of lovers seated on a marble bench overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The sun always shines in these pictures, although it never seems oppressively hot; and the lovers are invariably shown in a state of emotional anticipation rather than succumbing to passion itself. As Vern Swanson, the leading authority on Alma-Tadema, states in his catalogue raisonné of the artist's paintings, love-making is shown not 'at the point of climax, but rather earlier, when the tension is mounting.

Crane's early easel paintings were inspired by literature or mythology and are Pre-Raphaelitesque in their attention to detail. By the time the present lot was painted his painting style had become slightly broader although his preference for allegory and mythological subjects had not waned. The Judgment of Paris shows the three goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena lined up before Paris who holds the golden apple as the prize for the fairest.

Collection: Capitoline Museums, Rome, Italy

Song without Words belongs to a series of similar compositions in which the figure is seated on a marble bench with a calm blue sea behind her forming a stark horizon. The beautiful girl, in her striking orange gown, holds a flute in both hands. Her impulse to play has been halted by the captivating song of the small caged meadowlark, whose voice is implicitly of such beauty that it requires no real accompaniment. A watercolour version of the subject appeared in 1919. The paintings created while the artist was in Rome are among the most iconic examples of his style, and all convey a feeling of serenity which transports the viewer to another time and place.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) "Fortune's Favorite" (1895) Oil on panel Academicism

Helena, the daughter of Nedar, is the lifelong friend of Hermia (to whom she often compares herself). Before the events of the play, Helena was betrothed to the nobleman Demetrius, but she was rejected when his affections turned to Hermia. Despite this, Helena maintained an abiding love for Demetrius. Hermia confides in Helena that she plans to elope with a man called Lysander. Helena tells Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander's plans and, together, they follow the eloping lovers.