Cupid And Psyche
C.1817
In this stunning Neoclassical masterpiece, François-Edouard Picot captures the tender moment between Cupid and the sleeping Psyche. The winged god of love gently lifts a heavy red curtain, perhaps checking on his mortal beloved before dawn breaks. Painted in Rome in 1817, this piece perfectly embodies the Neoclassical obsession with Greek and Roman mythology, featuring idealized bodies and crisp architectural details. The myth of Cupid and Psyche, where a god falls for a mortal woman forbidden to see his face, actually inspired the later fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast!
Location: Louvre Museum