''Cupid and Psyche'' (or ''Allegory of Eros and Psyche'') is an oil-on-canvas painting by French painter

François Gérard François Pascal Simon Gérard (, 4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837), titled as Baron Gérard in 1809, was a French painter. He was born in Rome, where his father occupied a post in the house of the French ambassador, and his mother was Italian. A ...

, from 1798. It was exhibited for the first time at the Salon of 1798. It is held in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

, in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

History and description

The scene takes place in a green landscape, which serves as the background for the action. The young princess Psyche is depicted here as being somewhat surprised by the first kiss she is receiving from

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

(or

Eros Eros (, ; ) is the Greek god of love and sex. The Romans referred to him as Cupid or Amor. In the earliest account, he is a primordial god, while in later accounts he is the child of Aphrodite. He is usually presented as a handsome young ma ...

), which remains invisible to her eyes. The ancient myth told here is not only a love story, but also a metaphysical allegory: Psyche is in fact the personification of the human soul, related to the overwhelming passion, and to the libido. This work created by Gérard, who had been a pupil of

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

, testifies the evolution of his neoclassical style. The relationship depicted in this painting between

and Psyche is inspired by the narrative of the Latin poet

Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...

in ''

The Golden Ass The ''Metamorphoses'' of Apuleius, which Augustine of Hippo referred to as ''The Golden Ass'' (Latin: ''Asinus aureus''), is the only ancient Roman novel in Latin to survive in its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is Lucius. At the end of ...

'', and was a subject that repeatedly inspired neoclassical painters, sculptors and writers of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. The gestures of Eros, the god of love, remain measured, almost completely devoid of passion and commitment, as he kisses gently Psyche in the forehead, to her surprise, because she is unable to see him. The lines of the nude bodies reflect carefully the attention that the artist paid to their anatomy. A transparent dress covers the legs of the young woman. Psyche's expression denotes a serene but distant relaxation, as well an effort to hide her feelings. The butterfly seen above Psyche's head symbolizes the soul. The scene is able to express the deepest sensuality, while also maintaining a certain sense of innocence.Amelia Rauser, ''The Age of Undress - Art, Fashion, and the Classical Ideal in the 1790s'', Yale University press, 2020, p. 82

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cupid and Psyche 1798 paintings Paintings by François Gérard Paintings of Cupid Cupid and Psyche Nude paintings of men Nude paintings of women Allegorical paintings by French artists Paintings in the Louvre by French artists