Focus on this artwork and discuss the Composition.
The characters of Cupid and Psyche are fixed onto a long, vertical canvas. They appear long and larger than life. Cupid places a leg on a cloud for balance, and similarly balances the frame. Limbs interconnect in soft embraces. Bouguereau catches Cupid and Psyche in an inhale of breath, placing a light peck on Psyche's cheek. Her hand almost pushes Cupid away, and she looks down and away from him. The blue cloth floats behind them and onto the surrounding clouds. The focus is on the subjects, who are above the earthly realm and gracefully play in the sky.
The style in which Bouguereau chooses to paint the children is articulated and meaningful. Their white flesh is luminous and rosy- a symbol of their purity. Wings sprout delicately from their shoulders. Bouguereau invokes whimsical elements of childhood and young love through the use of pastels and soft, velvety brushstrokes. The painting is mostly blue, an uncommon color for the portrayal of a love story. By not using pinks and reds, the painter steers away from the theme of forbidden love and towards the idea of young love. The colors are cool and crisp. Bouguereau takes care to accurately portray the pudginess of Cupid and Psyche. The painting is full of texture from the light fabrics, wispy golden hair, and smoothness of their skin.
Cupid and Psyche Cupid