A drop of oil, a flicker of a lamp, and a love story for the ages. Here at the Cupid statue, we glimpse a moment frozen in time. The Cupid statue captures the dramatic climax of the tale of Amor and Psyche. Psyche, driven by curiosity, breaks Amor’s command and gazes upon his divine form. The Cupid statue depicts Psyche leaning over the sleeping Amor, a lamp in her hand, forever poised on the brink of discovery. Reinhold Begas sculpted this dramatic scene, his first large, independent work. He chose a classical composition, a triangle with Psyche’s head at its peak. The Cupid statue stands on a harmonious oval plinth, its surfaces and shapes showcasing Begas’s transition to the soft modeling of the neo-Baroque style. The story of Amor and Psyche goes back to ancient times, immortalized by Apuleius. Psyche, a mortal of incredible beauty, incurs the wrath of Venus. Venus orders Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a monster. Instead, Cupid falls in love with Psyche himself, but forbids her to look at him. He visits her only in darkness, his identity a secret. Psyche, urged by her sisters, lights a lamp while Amor sleeps. A drop of oil falls, waking Amor, who flees, betrayed. Psyche then undertakes a series of trials set by Venus to win back her love. Jupiter eventually grants her immortality, allowing her to marry Cupid. Their union, as symbolized by the Cupid statue, represents the joining of love and soul.
Центральный дом работников искусств
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