Description
“To be human is to grow old.”
— Sappho
This oversized postcard is a reproduction (offset printed, NOT letterpress) of our Age Before Beauty broadside, created in hope of raising the self-esteem of girls and women everywhere. This postcard faithfully reproduces the hand-lettered typography and hand-drawn illustrations of the original.
Age Before Beauty is chock full of allegorical imagery. Young Sappho carries Aphrodite’s mirror, while Athena’s wise owl looks over her aged self. Both figures play a seven-stringed lyre: Sappho was a lyrical poet, which means her poetry was designed to be performed to music. Finally, the band of dancing deer at the base references a recent translation of Sappho’s Old Age Poem.
You can find all available postcard designs in the postcards section of the shop.
Postcard size: 5 x 8 inches
PLEASE NOTE: these oversized postcards require extra postage for mailing.
PAPER FINISH: this postcard is made from a coated paper with a smooth, eggshell finish. If you write on them, we recommend using either a ballpoint pen or permanent marker to avoid smeared ink.
Colophon reads:
Sappho (c. 630 – 570 BCE) is the only woman counted among the Nine Lyric Poets revered in ancient Greek culture. Plato called her “the tenth muse,” but all that remains of her work is a handful of fragments. This quote is an excerpt from Fragment 58, a mysterious Old Age Poem that can be read either as a lament or a celebration of mortality. Illustrated by Chandler O’Leary and printed by Jessica Spring, in hopes that all women might see themselves both with Aphrodite’s gaze and Athena’s wisdom.
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This original artwork is copyright Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring 2016. Copyright is not transferable with the sale of this postcard. The buyer is not entitled to reproduction rights.
WA state residents are subject to sales tax.
This card will ship flat in a protective mailer, via the United States Postal Service.
