Lesbia with her Sparrow, John William Godward, 1916

The painting depicts lesbia, a recurring character in the elegies of the roman poet catullus, who presents her as the woman he loves. The painting is particularly inspired by poem 2 in which catullus evokes the death of his mistress's tame sparrow. Object Type: painting. Date: 1916. Dimensions: 38 7/8 × 19 3/8 in (99 × 49.5 cm). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Private collection. Godward-Lesbia with her Sparrow-1916