Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss

Half-reclining, a young woman stretches her arms like petals around the head of a slender, winged youth who embraces her in return. Their suspended gestures, locked gazes, and the blend of sensuality with a certain detachment convey the image of an eternal feeling.

Carved from the finest marble, this sculpture captures the moment when the son of Venus brings a mortal back to life with the grace of a kiss. The scene is drawn from the mythological tale by the ancient author Apuleius, in which Psyche—whose name in Greek means both “soul” and “breath”—endures a series of symbolic trials before being revived and granted immortality by Cupid, the god of love.

A popular subject since the Renaissance, the work was commissioned in 1787 from the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova by a Welsh colonel… though it was never delivered. History took its course, and by 1822 the sculpture had found its way to the Louvre.

The refined poses, carved from a single block of stone, the shifting viewpoints, and the harmonious blend of ideal beauty and lifelike detail all bear witness to Canova’s extraordinary skill. A masterpiece of Neoclassicism, it reflects the era’s fascination with antiquity—and continues to captivate viewers to this day.