Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene

The picture depicts the Archaic Greek poet Sappho spending time with her fellow poet and lover Erinna in a garden on the island of Lesbos. This painting shows Sappho embracing Erinna and kissing on her cheek, a rare scene seen in a 19th century painting, served as an attempt by the artist Simeon Solomon in exploring the subject of homosexuality. Being regarded as one the greatest lyric poet in her time, Sappho wrote about love and affection between women in her poems which made her became a symbol of lesbian love. In fact, the word "lesbian" comes from the Greek island name "Lesbos", where Sappho was born. Another term "sapphic", derived from the poet's name, also refers to affection between women.