The artwork “Mauria (Sappho)” by Maurice Dumont showcases a captivating and picturesque interpretation of Sappho’s poem: a passionate individual seeks to summon Aphrodite’s divine intervention to address her love crisis or make love feasible.

The intentional choice of presenting a silver foil copy through glyptography techniques alongside the original painting was a brilliant act of defamiliarization. It transformed my expectations of a traditional piece of art presenting a single illustration of the poetic theme—the artwork was in fact a dynamic exploration of two distinct yet interconnected representations. The original painting portrayed a lady with outstretched arms raised in an unknown direction, fervently in hopes of summoning Aphrodite. The flowers that bombarded the lady’s feet can be seen as a symbol of the bubbly, flowery swaths of romance she has trapped herself in.

The reprinting of the illustration on the silver foil below displays an amalgamation of contemplative artwork and the crystalline formation of sculpture. The silver foil copy, with its shimmer and textured surface, added a new dimension to the artwork, inviting unexpected tactile exploration. The contrast between the reflective silver foil and the contemplative image in the original painting created a juxtaposition that defamiliarized the viewing experience. My perception was sharpened by this defamiliarization, which led me to view it not as a static image but as a dynamic interpretation of a poem. Whether it is the shimmer of the foil or the more “three dimensional” approach it tailors to, the introduction to divinity (Aphrodite) and also the power of love are successfully demonstrated.

The selection of Sappho as the artwork’s subject was also made with the purpose of defamiliarizing the notions of love and poetic summons. In the same way that Sappho called Aphrodite to approach, the audience is encouraged to interact with the artwork on a deeper level.