Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, Neoclassical marble sculpture in Michelangelo Gallery, Louvre Museum, France.
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss is a marble sculpture in the Michelangelo Gallery of the Louvre Museum in France. The two figures touch each other in a moment of awakening, Cupid leans over Psyche who extends her arms toward him.
Italian sculptor Antonio Canova created the work between 1787 and 1793 on commission from English art collector John Campbell. The sculpture emerged during a time when artists turned again to themes and forms from Greek and Roman antiquity.
The scene shows the moment when Cupid brings his beloved back to life after severe trials imposed by the gods, an image of two lovers reuniting. Visitors today see the intertwined bodies of the figures resting on a rock, standing out through the contrast between bare skin and flowing drapery.
The sculpture stands in the Michelangelo Gallery and can be viewed from all sides, allowing visitors to see details from every angle. A brief stop in front of the work is enough to appreciate the expressiveness of the posture and the delicacy of the marble surface.
Canova worked with different surface treatments to set the smooth skin of the figures apart from the rough parts of the rock and the soft folds of the cloth. This technique gives the scene spatial depth and makes the touch between the two figures especially memorable.
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