moment when Love, with a kiss, revives Psyche after she had been wrapped in a ... Figg. It is a dispassionate virtuous love. A masterpiece by an Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. After his death the statue entered[3] the Louvre Museum in Paris, France in 1824;[4] In 1796, a Russian nobleman acquired the 2nd version from Canova in Rome, and it later entered the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. The love of parents and children typifies this love. “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Eros means to love as sexual passion. Posts about Psyche written by Karen Smith. In his Phaedo, Plato has Socrates give four arguments for the immortality of the soul and life after death following the separation of the soul from the body. He stated, “‘you must run around it, look at it from high and low, up and down, look at it again and keep getting lost.’[10] Fernow continued that one’s view must have a singular fixed point without the entire piece striking the viewer. Psyche then is trapped wandering the earth looking for him, and in desperation, submits to the service of Venus. His sculpture titled Psyche revived by Cupid’s Kiss (1802), which is a great example of how he stayed true to the neoclassicism. Psyche, revived by the kiss of Love. Additionally, the arrow which Cupid struck Psyche with to awaken her is also found near the jar and Cupid wears a quiver next to his waist. His work inspired in Fishers Drawing Room Scrap Book in 1834, which appeared as engravings and poetical illustrations by Elizabeth Landon The Dancing Girl and Hebe. Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. The story of Cupid and Psyche appears in Greek art as early as the 4th century BC. The sculpture is considered a masterpiece of Neoclassical style but also has the mythological elements of emotional lovers, a clear sign of the emerging movement of Romanticism. What is going to be done using the sculpture … April’s new moon on the 12th heralds powerful new beginnings inaugurated by the messengers of spring and bathed in the amniotic sap of rebirth. This type of love was further explained by Thomas Aquinas as “to will the good of another.”. In 1820, Canova made a statue of George Washington for the state of North Carolina. [11] During Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns of 1796–97, Napoleon caught wind of Canova’s sculpture; “General Bonaparte offered Canova his protection and greatly flattered the sculptor, and later, when he was military dictator of France as first consul, he sought to enlist Canova’s considerable talents for his own glorification.”[12] Canova however, deemed himself an independent artist and had previously rejected a court invitation from Czarina Catherine II, as Canova believed, “art was above politics.”[13] Yet this was not enough as “in the end power politics, manifested in French pressure on the papacy, forced [Canova] to acquiesce.”[12] Against his wishes, Canova gained various titles and honors such as “Cavaliere of the Golden Spur, Cavaliere di Cristo, [and] marquisate of Ischia. [2] “Delicately purging her of the Sleep, which he put back in its original lair the [jar], he roused Psyche with a charming prick of his Arrow.”[2] Various details such as the jar behind Psyche allude to the story by Apuleius as Psyche had just opened it and had gone to sleep thus the jar remains lying beside her. [9] This movement emphasizes the emotion and beauty of the sculpture while piquing interest from all angles. [1] It is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement of Romanticism. The story of Cupid and Psyche is taken from Lucius Apuleius' Latin novel The Golden Ass,[2] and was popular in art. The idea of the Psyche is central to the philosophy of Plato. The work’s structural complexity is We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The art piece “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s kiss” was written during the classical period. Still, the most extended source of the tale is the Latin novel Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, by Apuleius (2nd century AD). The back story is that the fame of Psyche’s beauty threatened to eclipse that of Venus herself. – Michelangelo, Photo Credit: 1) Sailko [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons 2)I, Sailko [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)] ; By Stebanoid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 2) CC BY-SA 2.5, Link Yair Haklai, Sponsor a Masterpiece with YOUR NAME CHOICE for $5. “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss” by Antonio Canova shows the mythological lovers at a moment of high emotion. It represents the god Cupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss. The story’s theme concerns the overcoming of obstacles to the love between Psyche (“Soul” or “Breath of Life”) and Cupid, and their last union in marriage. “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss” is the climax of the story, after which Cupid grants Psyche immortality so they can be wed as equals. The basic meaning of the Greek word ψυχή (psūchê) was “life”. Musée du louvre. Canova was regarded as one of the greatest of the Neoclassical artists; the Baroque and the Classical Revival inspired his artwork. All these six types of love are generally seen as human and healthy forms of love. [14] Canova was a wildly successful independent sculptor and his skill and talent is evident within his works such as Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. It represents the god Cupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac; the first moon in Aries marks not only a new lunar cycle but a … (Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova) Neoclassicism. Derived meanings included “spirit” and “self.”, The association of “spirit” and “breath” is not unique to Greek cultures. “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss” is a major work by 18th-century sculptor Canova. This is a supreme example of the Neoclassical art movement that began with the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century and is considered Canova’s masterpiece. ... Psyche’s left arm and by Cupid’s other wing. Both of these works reflect the artistic progression of their ages. 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