Art Institute of Chicago

Psyche's Entrance into Cupid's Palace [right fragment] from the Story of Psyche

After a cartoon by François Boucher (1703–1770)

Date

1756/63

Medium

Wool and silk; tapestry weave

Culture

Beauvais

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

A delicate lilting sensibility suffuses this tapestry inspired by ancient Roman mythology. Beautiful young attendants of the gods and goddesses, known as nymphs, play music to celebrate the arrival of Princess Psyche at Cupid's palace. Cupid, the god of love, hid Psyche from the envious gaze of his mother, Venus, the goddess of beauty and fruitfulness. The graceful forms of the nymphs' bodies complement the soaring architecture of the palace interior. The flower garland wrapped around the column, as well as the lush folding of the figures' garment and the rug, further enhance the sensorially rich world the tapestry depicts. Unsurprisingly, contemporary operatic interpretations of the story of Cupid and Psyche influenced François Boucher's design.

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