Cupid and Psyche is a 1817 painting by French Neoclassical artist Jacques Louis David. This work is located in the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cupid and Psyche are central characters in a classical myth recounted in The Golden Ass (Metamorphoses) by Apuleius, a Roman writer of the 2nd century CE. Their story is a tale of love, jealousy, and redemption, and it has been retold in various forms throughout history.
Psyche, a mortal woman of extraordinary beauty, incites the envy of Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love and beauty. Venus, feeling threatened by Psyche’s beauty, orders her son Cupid (Eros) to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest creature on earth. However, when Cupid encounters Psyche, he is so enchanted by her beauty that he falls in love with her himself.
Cupid, under the cover of night, takes Psyche to his secret palace, where he visits her only in darkness, forbidding her to see him. Psyche, though deeply in love, becomes tormented by curiosity and doubts about her mysterious lover. Encouraged by her jealous sisters, she eventually breaks his command and lights a lamp to see him. The sight of Cupid, whose beauty is more divine than she imagined, causes Psyche to accidentally spill hot oil from the lamp on him, awakening him.
Betrayed and heartbroken, Cupid flees, leaving Psyche alone. Determined to win him back, Psyche undertakes a series of arduous and seemingly impossible tasks set by Venus. With perseverance and divine assistance, she completes these tasks. Moved by her dedication and love, Cupid reconciles with Psyche, and the gods grant her immortality.