As you walk through the Musée du Louvre you may come across a few figures over and over captured in the paintings and statues and wonder who they are. Today being Saint Valentine’s Day it’s a perfect time to share the story of Psyché et l’Amour and how it is told in the art of my true love, the Musée du Louvre.
Pysché was the beautiful daughter of a Greek king and had two sisters. Her sisters were joined in marriage to other royalty but Psyché was so beautiful that the men only wanted to look at her and not ask for her hand. Her father was distraught and went to the Temple of Apollo to talk to the Oracle of Delphi who told him Psyché was destined to be married to a beast that even the gods would fear.
There was only one thing to do. She was to dress in funeral attire and go to the highest peak in the area and await her fate. Psyché and her father did just that and as they waited nothing happened. To end her pain she decided to jump to her death. As she fell Zephyr, the god of the West Wind arrived and carried her off to a meadow. When she awoke she wandered into a house of golden columns and cupboards filled with gold.
Zephyr enlevet Psyché par Heri-Joseph Rutxhiel
Drawn to the bedroom she lays on a beautiful bed and Cupid, in his god-like form that was invisible to her, begins to make love to her. Night after night this man that she can not see comes to her. When she tells her sister about her nightly visitor they tell her that she needs to see who he is and make sure it is not the beast the Oracle had promised. One night while her mysterious love slept she crawled from bed, picked up an oil lamp, and held it close to his face. As she leaned over to take a closer look she was stunned at how beautiful the god of love was. Backing away suddenly she pierced herself with one of his arrows, the oil dripped on the handsome god and he was awoken.
Psyché et Cupid par Francois Gérard
Cupid suddenly flees and is stunned by her betrayal. Psyché abandoned and distraught, goes to the temple of Ceres and asks for help to find her love. However, she is a mortal and the gods could not assist her, but Venus might be able to. Venus was the mother of Cupid and she was already well aware of the beautiful mortal that was stealing the heart of her son.
Venus wore the crown as the most beautiful woman in the world and wasn’t happy that her title was being threatened. She told Psyché she needed to complete four tasks and if she did that she would consider helping her, but these tasks were impossible and Venus figured she would be rid of her once and for all.
Cupid et Psyché par Francois Nicolas Delaistre ( i left them a little chocolate heart)
The first task was to separate a large pile of grains and beans. Psyché decided the task was too difficult and instead went to a wedding. That night when she returned rather drunk she was amazed to see the task was complete. The insects were drawn to her beauty and separated the grains and beans for her.
Psyché surprend l’Amour endormi par Louis Jean-Francois Lagrenée
Task number two was to return to Venus the golden wool of the sheep of Helios. These sheep were very violent and as she tried to get close they would run her off. Suddenly a strong wind came through and their golden wool was blown off and caught on the briars which she could easily gather. Venus couldn’t believe she completed each of these tasks.
The third was to collect the black water from the river Styx that fell from the high rocks guarded by dragons. Jupiter saw the young girl struggling and sent his eagle to combat the dragons and gather the water.
Psyché Abandonée par Augustin Pajou
The final task was the hardest and impossible in the eyes of Venus who needed to put an end to this girl that was charming the gods and creatures. Psyché must bring back the drops from Proserpina, the queen of the underworld that would promise every lasting beauty. Psyché felt there wasn’t any way she could survive this and climbed to a tall peak where she was going to end her life. Suddenly she heard a voice that told her what she needed to do to pass the tests of the underworld. She must remain silent, bring cakes for the three-headed dog Cerberus and two coins for Charon the ferryman and she would succeed.
L’Enlevement de Psyché par Adriaen de Vries
She did just that and obtained the vial was instructed not to open it and began her return to Venus. Mercury takes her in his arms and flies to Venus but when she arrives her curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the vial. With one whiff she fell into a deep sleep. In a lovely meadow of flowers, Cupid discovered her and thought she had died. He picked her up and placed a kiss on her lips and she awakened. Knowing his mother was going to be a problem he took Psyché to Zeus and asked for his help and that he could marry her. He gathered the gods and they all agreed. Psyché was given a vial of Ambrosia to drink that would transform her into the Goddess of the Soul and Venus would have to accept her.
Psyché Ranimeé par le baiser de l’Amour par Antonio Canova