#edward poynter

[hamletthedane]

Thinking about him (the soldier in Poynter’s Faithful Until Death painting watching an apocalypse unfold around him with horror in his eyes as he tries to keep himself standing beneath a doorway, based on an actual 19th century archeological find of a man in full soldier’s garb under a doorway at Pompeii)

[venustapolis]

Andromeda (Edward Poynter, 1869)

[leatherandmossprints]

‘The Cave of the Storm Nymphs’ by Edward Poynter, c. 1903.

[illustratus]

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon by Edward John Poynter

[lionofchaeronea]

Faithful Unto Death, Edward Poynter, 1865

[escapismsworld]

The Ides of March

1883

Edward Poynter

[obsession-of-aesthetic]

"Psyche in the Temple of Love" by Edward John Poynter (1882)

[galleria-delle-stelle]

"Andromeda" by Edward Poynter, 1869

[classicalcanvas]

Title: The Water Carriers of the Nile

Artist: Edward Poynter

Date: 1862

Genre: Portrait

[balkanparamo]

Andromeda: Edward Poynter, 1869

[illustratus]

The Bells of Saint Mark's, Venice by Edward John Poynter

[leatherandmossprints]

‘Cave of the Storm Nymphs’ by Edward Poynter, c. 1903.

[lionofchaeronea]

Title: Lesbia and Her Sparrow Artist: Sir Edward John Poynter (English, 1836-1919) Date: 1907 Genre: historical painting; literary painting (based on Catullus' Poem 3) Movement: Classicism Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 49 cm (19.2 in) high x 37 cm (14.5 in) wide Location: private collection

[boselliart]

[artemlegere]

Lesbia and her Sparrow

Artist: Edward Poynter (British, 1836–1919)

Date: 1907

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Bonhams

Description

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.

[womblegrinch]

Sir Edward John Poynter (1836-1919) - Water babies

Oil on canvas. Painted in 1900.

20 x 15.25 inches, 50.8 x 38.5 cm. Estimate: £60,000-80,000.

Sold Sotheby's, London, 4 July 2024 for £48,000 incl B.P.