Sappho on the Cliff

Gustave Moreau painted this watercolor titled, *Sappho on the Cliff* sometime in the late 19th century. Here, Moreau depicts Sappho, the archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, as she prepares to jump to her death because of her unrequited love for the ferryman, Phaon. Moreau’s composition is interesting because Sappho is typically depicted as a strong, independent woman who loved other women; now, she’s a figure of tragic heterosexuality. Sappho, as seen by Moreau and others, is despondent; she is trapped by the narrative of a woman who is defined by her relationship to a man. Moreau’s painting does very little to challenge this depiction. Sappho is a woman whose story has lived on for centuries, and Moreau’s painting is just one interpretation of the famed poet. Although she is an icon for the LGBTQ community, Sappho’s history is more than just her sexuality.