Focus on Psyche Showing Her Sisters Her Gifts from Cupid and explain the Description.
The painting illustrates the classical story of Cupid and Psyche, originally told by Apuleius in The Golden Ass, but Fragonard drew more heavily on a retelling by Jean de La Fontaine, Les Amours de Psiché et Cupidon (1669). The god Cupid would visit his lover Psyche only at night, and forbade her to look at him. The painting shows Psyche, seated at right in a white garment, waiting for her two sisters along with various nymphs at the palace of Cupid, where she shows the gifts she has received from her lover. The two envious sisters persuade Psyche to reveal her lover's identity in order to break the faith between the two of them.An allegorical figure personifying the sisters' envy (sometimes identified as Eris, the goddess of discord) appears above the sisters clutching snakes in its hands. It has been noted that the portrayal of Psyche may have been inspired by Louis XV's chief mistress, Madame de Pompadour.In its current state there are details missing from the painting, as it has been cut down from its original form. Around 26 cm was lost from the top and 35 cm on the left-hand side. The remaining details that still can be viewed show various luxurious items, including golden vases, a perfume burner, flowers, jewels, and Cupid's quiver.The painting is heavily influenced by Boucher's tapestry design of 1737 on the subject of Cupid and Psyche. However, Fragonard's work shows more movement and has sharper colours, such as the pale lemon dress in acidic tones worn by one of the sisters, which may denote her jealousy towards Psyche. The rose and blue tonality of Boucher has been replaced with a gold and orange more characteristic of Fragonard, showing the early development of his individual palette. These colours are at their most concentrated in the flowers laid at the foot of Psyche's throne, which has been described as "the area of the painting most clearly 'in focus'". By contrast, the other parts of the painting towards the periphery lose focus and use darker tones, which hint at the future disasters in the story of Psyche and Cupid.
Louis XV Madame de Pompadour Cupid and Psyche details nymph Apuleius Eris chief mistress Cupid The Golden Ass Jean de La Fontaine Psyche