Description
David used the story of Cupid and Psyche to explore the conflict between idealized love and physical reality. Cupid, lover of the beautiful mortal Psyche, visited her nightly on the condition that she not know his identity. Cupid was usually depicted as an ideal adolescent, but here David presents him as an ungainly teenager smirking at his sexual conquest. David took inspiration from a number of ancient texts, including an obscure, recently published Greek poem by Moschus that describes Cupid as a mean-spirited brat with flashing eyes and curly hair.
Provenance
Giovanni Battista Comte de Sommariva [1760-1826], his sale February 18-23, 1839, sold to Dubois. (1839); (Dubois, Paris, France, February 18-23, 1839, lot 1) (1839); James Alexandre Comte de Pourtalès [1776-1855], Paris. France.; Pourtalès-Gorgier sale, Paris, France, March 27, 1865 (lot 242), ff 1,450 sold to Madame de Furtado, 1880. (1880); Madame de Furtado [1821-1896], Paris, France (1880-?); M. Eisenschitz ? (See distinguishing marks label); Prince Murat by 1913. Princesse Murat. Murat sale, Palais Galliéra, Paris, France, March 2, 1961 (lot 140), ff 245,000.; (Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, NY sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1962); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1962)
Accession Number
1962.37
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 221 x 282 x 10 cm (87 x 111 x 3 15/16 in.); Unframed: 184.2 x 241.6 cm (72 1/2 x 95 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
