Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss
After Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757–1822)
Italy, 19th century
Marble sculpture: 28 ½ × 32 × 13 in.
Overall with pedestal: 73 ½ × 34 ½ × 16 in.
One of the most admired sculptures of the Neoclassical era, Antonio Canova’s Cupid Reviving Psyche captures the mythological moment when the god of love awakens Psyche from her death-like sleep with a kiss. Canova’s original, completed in 1793 and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, became a symbol of refined beauty, inspiring numerous 19th-century interpretations such as this one.
Exquisitely carved in marble, this version preserves the fluidity of line and delicate emotion of the original. The conforming grey-veined marble pedestal, with its demilune top, enhances the work’s grace and stature, making it a centerpiece of classical taste and Romantic sentiment.
