Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss on Pedestal (1850)

Psyche Revived by Cupid's KissAfter Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757–1822)Italy, 19th centuryMarble sculpture: 28 ½ × 32 × 13 in.Overall with pedestal: 73 ½ × 34 ½ × 16 in. One of the most admired sculptures of the Neoclassical era, Antonio Canova’s Cupid Reviving Psyche captures the mythological moment when the god of love awakens Psyche from her death-like sleep with a kiss. Canova’s original, completed in 1793 and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, became a symbol of refined beauty, inspiring numerous 19th-century interpretations such as this one. Exquisitely carved in marble, this version preserves the fluidity of line and delicate emotion of the original. The conforming grey-veined marble pedestal, with its demilune top, enhances the work’s grace and stature, making it a centerpiece of classical taste and Romantic sentiment.