Psyche Revived By Cupid's

A1. Initial Thoughts

During my first look at Antonio Canova’s Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, the detail in the woman being saved by a kiss from Cupid astonished me. I was especially impressed by the feathers on the wings and the smoothness of the skin. I find it absolutely amazing that in a time of limited, or any, modern technology, someone could create such delicate features and texture on a hard surface. This piece must have taken years to carve. I feel that this beautiful sculpture portrays love, compassion, and ironically, humanity. I do not know who the woman is, or why she needs a kiss from Cupid, but she seems to welcome it desperately.

A2. Aspect of Interest The modesty of the woman is intriguing to me, especially because

This time period was also called the “Age of Reason,” with themes of skepticism, rationalism, and empiricism, which all led to new scientific discoveries. Critical thinkers challenged authority, leading to religious tolerance and free speech (MindEdge, 2017). Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence during this period, which reflected the Enlightenment philosophies. The Neoclassical Movement saw a shift in the arts to Roman and Greek inspiration. Theatres were producing plays that included subjects based on classical myths and female actors were seen on stage in England (MindEdge, 2017). In this era of cultural exchange and diversity, traditional biases were a thing of the

Harmony, idealized realism, and reason can be seen in much of the art and architecture from this time (MindEdge, 2017). In Roman mythology, Cupid was a nightly visitor of the mortal Psyche, but he refused to let her see his face. Unable to resist, Psyche lights an oil lamp while Cupid is sleeping, and when a drop of oil wakes him, he runs from her betrayed. Psyche, determined to find her Cupid, accepts a mission from Venus, Cupid’s mother, to retrieve a flask of water from the Underworld, with the condition that it stays closed. Once again, her curiosity defeats her and she opens the flask and falls into a death sleep (Chipault, 2010). Canova captures the moment of Cupid’s rescue of Psyche with his