Eros and Psyche
The story tells of the quest for love and trust between Eros and Psyche. Aphrodite was jealous of the beauty of mortal princess Psyche, as men were leaving her altars barren to worship a mere human woman instead, and so she commanded her son Eros, the god of love, to cause Psyche to fall in love with the ugliest creature on earth. But instead, Eros falls in love with Psyche himself and spirits her away to his home. Their fragile peace is ruined by a visit from Psyche's jealous sisters, who cause Psyche to betray the trust of her husband. Wounded, Eros leaves his wife, and Psyche wanders the Earth, looking for her lost love. Eventually, she approaches Aphrodite and asks for her help. Aphrodite imposes a series of difficult tasks on Psyche, which she is able to achieve by means of supernatural assistance.
After successfully completing these tasks, Aphrodite relents and Psyche becomes immortal to live alongside her husband Eros. Together they had a daughter, Voluptas or Hedone (meaning physical pleasure, bliss).
Eros and Psyche Stamp Collection
Italy 2007 Amor and Psyche by Antonio Canova 1787
Uganda 1997 Amor and Psyche by Antonio Canova 1787
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Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss is a sculpture by Italian artist Antonio Canova first commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell. It is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement of Romanticism. It represents the god Cupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss. The story of Cupid and Psyche is taken from Lucius Apuleius' Latin novel The Golden Ass, and was popular in art.
Uganda 1997 The Abduction of Psyche by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in 1895
William-Adolphe Bouguereau loved a sickly-sweet romance, and the story of Cupid and Psyche was a perfect inspiration. Like his fellow Neoclassical artists, Bouguereau often depicted scenes from the classical stories of ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. In this nearly life-sized painting we see the titular Psyche swept into the air by a curly-haired man sporting white wings. They're both physically perfect, incredibly beautiful, and rendered in the delicate pinks and creams that make Bouguereau’s figures instantly recognizable.
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Germany 1981 Amor and Psyche by Reinhold Begas (1831-1911) Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
The story of the love of Amor and Psyche, as related by Apuleius in ancient times, inspired artists into ever new images: Psyche, visited each night by her lover Amor, who nevertheless refuses to reveal his shape and his name, succumbs to curiosity and approaches the sleeping Amor in order to see his true form by the light of an oil lamp. Inadvertently, a drop of oil falls onto Amor, who flees in shock. Only after Psyche has passed various tests and the gods give their permission, may she marry her lover in the gods’ heaven. For his first large, independent sculpture, Begas chose the dramatic highpoint of the story, when Psyche bends over her lover. The composition is in the traditions of classical sculpture and is structured within a broad-based triangle with Psyche’s head marking its highest point. The work is built up on a harmonious oval plinth. The treatment of surfaces and individual shapes alike shows Begas’ move from strict linearity to the soft, painterly modelling that was soon to become characteristic of neo-Baroque art.
Dominica 2000 Cupid and Psyche 1639-40
Anthony van dyck (1599-1641)
In classical mythology, Venus, jealous of Psyche's beauty, set her a number of tasks, the last of which was to bring her a small portion of Proserpine's beauty from Hades in an unopened casket. Psyche, overcome by curiosity, opened it and released not beauty, but sleep, from which she is roused by Cupid. Psyche represents earthly beauty, while Cupid is Desire aroused by her beauty.
Areas of the painting with a higher degree of finish, such as the swirling drapery and the mass of the tree, contrast with thinly painted areas; for example, Cupid's curls and feathers, which are defined with light touches. The free brushwork and poetic rendering of a mythological story show the importance of Titian for Van Dyck, an artist avidly collected by Charles I.
The intimacy and tension of the figures result from a number of simple but striking contrasts: the warmth of Cupid's flesh tones and drapery against the coolness of Psyche's skin and cloak; the speed and energy as he barely touches the ground next to the weight of her 'sleeping corpse'. Cupid enters like an Annunciate Angel with hope, whilst she assumes the form of a Dead Christ in a Lamentation. The diagonals of their bodies are echoed by the dead and living tree beyond, which reinforce the idea of Cupid's touch bringing life back to the dead.
Amor and the Three graces
Paraguay 1982 Amor and the three graces by Raphael
Amor and the Three Graces 1517-18 by Raphael Fresco Villa Farnesina, Rome
Paraguay 1982 Amor and the three graces by Raphael
Raphael's pictorial narrative in the Loggia di Psiche begins in the spandrels of the short side on the left as one enters and continues along the spandrels to the right to the second short side and then along the entrance side. These triangular surfaces represented a problematic format for artists. Raphael solved this challenge in ever new and surprising ways, causing the form of the painting's support and the composition of its figures to interact in particularly fortuitous and varied manners.
In this spandrel Cupid, who is already in love with Psyche, is pointing her out to the Graces. The figures are skillfully placed within the form of the spandrel such that they face in from all four sides and seem to push the space out with their backs and shoulders. This gives the group air and freedom in the centre without causing it to fall apart: the bodies interlock, overlap, and combine.
It was said that only in the presence of the Three Graces could a young man recognize the charms of his beloved. Cupid is looking at the Graces and pointing with his left hand, not at Psyche, but at the loggia itself, the Chigis' own world. This is no doubt meant to refer to the lady of the house.
Paraguay 1974 Amor and the three graces by François Boucher
Yugoslvia 1988 Eros and Psyche (2nd c. bc.) Greek Terracotta Figures from the Art Collection of "josip broz tito" in Belgrad
Manama 1971 Amor and Psyche by Jacopo Zucchi 1589 , Galleria Borghese
Rubens depicted the moment that Psyche catches her first glimpse of Cupid; she is seated on the edge of the bed in which he sleeps, holding a lamp from which oil would drip and waken him. Rubens used a male model for the study, softening his musculature in the painting into the artist's more familiar fleshy forms.
Amor and the three graces by François Boucher (1703-1770)
France 1983 Psyche Presenting the Phial of Water to Venus by Raphael
Paraguay 1977 Amor and Psyche by Jacopo Zucchi 1589 , Galleria Borghese
This painting depicts goddess ‘Psyche’ and her husband, Amor. It some greek traditions to is said to have been a secret relationship, where when finally revealed family members of Psyche grew envious towards and became jealous of her lifestyle – when they started to meddle between both characters. The initial story behind this painting is that Psyche’s sisters developed jealousy towards her relationship and told Psyche that her husband must be a snake and that he had been lying throughout their marriage. The goddess then dismissed her trust for her husband and whilst he was sleeping in the dark, she held a lit candle over him to study whether he was truthfully human or snake. The candle light dripped over him, waking him to her standing over him. This made him angry and he abruptly left. For days, Psyche searched for Amor in distress and knew that she had to find him to prove her love. However, she could never see him, only hearing his voice chanting ‘love cannot live without trust’.
Paraguay 1984 Amor and Psyche by Rubens 1612 Collection Ralph Stadter, Hamburg
Paraguay 1981 Psyche is taken to the Olympus by Rubens 1621
Cupid eventually weds her and persuades Jupiter to allow Psyche to live in Olympus. In the circular composition the assembly of the Olympian gods is rendered in foreshortened perspective from below. Mercury, the messenger of the gods, bears Psyche aloft to Jupiter's throne. There Cupid awaits them both with longing. From below Hymen, the genius of bridal couples, floats into the picture with a torch. Executed with great rapidity, extremely thinly painted with a palette of light colours and loose brushwork, this bozzetto is one of the best examples of the numerous Rubens sketches in the Princely Collections. The sketch was probably painted around 1621 in connection with the ceiling decoration of the Great Hall of the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London, which was designed by Inigo Jones and built between 1616 and 1622. Prince Johann Adam Andreas I von Liechtenstein acquired this sketch before 1712.
Manama 1971 Psyche Transported to Olympus, by Rosso Fiorentino
Macau 2008 Cupid and Psyche
Austria 1967 The swan from the fairytale "Amor and Psyche" . a painting of Oskar Kokoshchka (1886-1980) in the festival hall in Salzburg.
Uruguay 2015 Amor and Psyche 1985 , by Anhelo Hernandez (1922-2010) an Uruguayan plastic artist
Cyprus 1986 Clay cluster of Cupid and Psyche, Roman Period 50 B.C. New Archeological Museum of CYPRUS
India, Nagaland Cinderella 1972 Amor and Psyche by Baron Gerard (1770-1837)