Artwork
The Sparrow of Lesbie (Le moineau de Lesbie)
The Sparrow of Lesbie (Le moineau de Lesbie) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Félicien Rops. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1866, *The Sparrow of Lesbia* is an etching by Belgian artist Félicien Rops. Executed in the intaglio tradition, the work presents a solitary nude figure seated on a stone slab that bears the inscription “LESBIA.” A small bird rests nearby, adding a subtle narrative element to the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman reclining with her head supported by her right hand, her left arm modestly covering her breasts. The stone’s lettering and the perched sparrow suggest an allusion to the ancient poet Sappho’s beloved Lesbia, invoking themes of love, longing, and quiet introspection.
Technique & Style
Rops employs fine line work and delicate cross‑hatching characteristic of his innovative intaglio practice. The tonal gradations create a soft, atmospheric effect that lends the scene a dreamlike quality. The composition balances precise detail with a romantic, almost ethereal ambience, reflecting the artist’s engagement with Symbolist aesthetics.
History & Provenance
Rops, active in the Parisian fin de siècle and linked to the Les XX collective, produced the etching during a period of prolific printmaking. While the work circulated among literary and artistic circles of the time, its later ownership records are sparse, though it remains cited in catalogues of Rops’s print oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Félicien Victor Joseph Rops (French: ; 7 July 1833 – 23 August 1898) was a Belgian artist associated with Symbolism, Decadence, and the Parisian fin de siècle, and was a member of the Les XX group.
