In this oil painting, Styka portrays the Parisian socialite Madame Eugénie Meurlot-Chollet as Sappho—the celebrated classical Greek poetess from the island of Lesbos whose writings center on human love. Clothed in an ancient crimson long robe, Eugenie stares seductively at the with dark eyes that match her short wavy black hair for intensity. She sits in profile outdoors with head turn towards the artist with her arms extending together to relax on her knees while a cloudy sky, like the shades of crimson in her robe, hints at inner passion. The Egyptian-style bracelet and multiple elaborate rings add exotic yet likely biographical touches as Madame Meurlot-Chollet was well known for modeling the latest creations of the famous Art Nouveau jeweler René Lalique whose jewelry was popular at French salons and the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Jan Styka plays a major role as an intermediary between the artistic styles of Paris and Poland. Like other Symbolist painters, Styka rejected Impressionism and its focus on capturing the fleeting views of daily life, in favor of a representational language that emphasizes the expression of an idea over the realistic description of the natural world. Both his sons Tadeusz "Tade" Styka and Adam Styka were critically acclaimed painters, too.

Sappho (Portrait of Eugénie Meurlot-Chollet) by
Jan Styka (Polish) - Oil on paperboard / c. 1900-10 - Smart Museum of Art (Chicago, Illinois) #womeninart #janstyka #art #portrait #sappho #artwork #smartmuseumofart #fineart #oilpainting #universityofchicago #womensart #socialite #polishartist #styka