Laocoön and His Sons
Raphael used the face of Laocoön from the classical sculpture "Laocoön and His Sons", excavated in 1506 and also in the Vatican for his Homer (in dark blue robe to the left of centre), expressing blindness rather than pain. Two of the female figures in the fresco have been said to be reminiscent of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam", Euterpe and Sappho, who is named on a scroll she holds. Sappho is the only female poet shown, presumably identified so that she is not confused with a muse; she is a late addition who does not appear in the print by Marcantonio Raimondi that records a drawing for the fresco.