Sappo
1917
Medium
Etching; third state of three
Dimensions
Plate: 8 1/8 × 7 1/16 in. (20.6 × 18 cm) Sheet: 13 3/4 × 12 1/16 in. (35 × 30.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edna H. Sachs, 1964
Accession Number
64.695.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
Anders Zorn's *Sappo* (1917) is a masterful etching that captures the sensual interplay of light and shadow on the female form, a hallmark of the Swedish artist's late-career prowess. Depicting a nude woman accompanied by her loyal dog—likely named Sappo—this third and final state of the print showcases Zorn's fascination with everyday intimacy and nature. Created during World War I, when Zorn was at the height of his international fame, the work reflects his shift toward intimate, personal subjects amid global turmoil, drawing from his lifelong study of the female nude in naturalistic setting...
About the Artist
Anders Zorn · 1860–1920
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...