In the context of The Bath of Psyche, analyze the Painting (1890) of the History.
The exigencies of the space at his disposal were sufficient to account for the peculiar nature of the original composition. When, however, he determined to enlarge the idea for a painting on canvas he cut off much of the water and the reflections from it and added the colonnade of marble columns in order to widen the space. The original panel measured 32 inches by 6½ inches; the painting is almost twice its width.In 1890 The Bath of Psyche was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts. The critic of The Spectator was full of praise:Whether you call No. 310 "Psyche," or, better, "Soma," we can admire her pretty, graceful lines, and the wonderful pure colour of the curtain and the sky, of the gold and of the copper, and the unfaltering hand that has drawn that body so simply and so tenderly.
This at once established its position as a popular favourite, and it was probably more widely reproduced than any other of Leighton's works in the painter's lifetime. It was purchased under the terms of the Chantrey Bequest, and entered the collections of the Tate Gallery.
Royal Academy of Arts Tate Chantrey Bequest Tate Gallery Psyche The Spectator