Cupid and Pysche (1789)

by Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)

This painting depicts the story of Psyche and Cupid. It depicts the moment when Psyche, a beautiful mortal, discovers that her secret lover is in fact the god Cupid.

The artist Joshua Reynolds was the first president of the Royal Academy, London. He showed Psyche and Cupid at the Academy's annual exhibition in 1789. The painting uses the story to explore light and shadow, but also various textures and the make/female form.

The myth of Psyche and Cupid comes from Apuleius's Metamorphoses (2nd century CE). The painting depicts the following passage:

“At once the secret was revealed. There lay the gentlest and sweetest of all wild creatures, Cupid himself, the beautiful Love-god, and at sight of him the flame of the lamp spurted joyfully up.”

Fun fact: at the Royal Academy students were only allowed to practice painting with male models. This meant that they frequently prioritized male figures over female ones. For example, in this painting Reynolds draws our attention to Cupid and not to Psyche.

It’s a beautiful and striking painting. You can see it at the Cortauld Gallery in London.

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Julian