Lélio: The Aeolian Harp, from Hector Berlioz, sa vie et ses oeuvres

<p>Hector Berlioz created <em>Lélio</em>, a work incorporating both music and spoken text, as a sequel to his Symphonie Fantastique. Like its predecessor, <em>Lélio</em> tells the story of a failed love affair, but it also describes the artist’s turn to music as an antidote to his heartbreak. This lithograph depicts <em>Lélio</em>’s fifth song, in which the artist listens to an Aeolian harp. Played by the wind, this wooden instrument served as an important symbol of artistic inspiration during the Romantic era.</p>