Lesbia’s Sparrow, Catullus By George William Joy Art Print

By George William Joy (Irish, 1844–1925)

The subject is one of the oldest love poems in the language — Catullus writing about Lesbia and her pet sparrow, the small, teasing jealousy of a man who envies a bird its place in his lover's lap. Joy paints the moment as warmth and hush: a woman lost in the bird, the whole room seeming to hold its breath around her.

Dublin-born George William Joy (1844–1925) trained in London and made his name on grand historical scenes, but it is in intimate pictures like this that his feeling for light, skin, and fabric is at its most persuasive.

Sizes & Format

• A4 21 × 29.7 cm / 8 × 12″
• A3 (29.7 × 42 cm)
• A2 (42 × 59.4 cm)
• Available framed (black, white, wood) or unframed

Print & Frame Details

Archival matte paper, 250gsm (110lb), acid-free and FSC-certified — off-white, uncoated. Framed prints: solid oak or ash wood frame, 20mm thick, with shatterproof protective glazing. Ready to hang, hanging kit included. Unframed prints up to A4 ship flat; larger sizes ship rolled in a protective tube.

Free Worldwide Shipping

Framed prints are packed with protective corners and wrap, boxed with reinforced edges, and braced with internal supports for extra rigidity (max 3 frames per package). Every order ships free, made to order and delivered from the hub closest to you: Ireland 3–7 business days · UK 4–8 · USA 5–10 · Canada 6–12 · Australia 7–14.