Lesbia and her sparrow, oil on canvas by edward poynter (1907). The painting represents lesbia, recurring characters in the elegies of the roman poet catullus who presents her as the woman he loves. The painting is particularly inspired by poem 3 in which catullus evokes the death of his mistress's tamed sparrow. Object Type: painting. Date: 1907. Dimensions: height: 49 cm (19.2 in); width: 37 cm (14.5 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Sir Edward John Poynter lesbia and her sparrowFXD