ticketsMember | Make a donation

Cupid and Psyche

before 1893
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
In this variation on the theme of lost love, Rodin depicts the moment that the god Cupid abandons the mortal Psyche at the command of the jealous goddess Venus. Outstretched across a block of unfinished marble, Psyche desperately clings to the god as he lowers his face toward her and ascends with beating wings. The projecting marble strut supporting Cupid’s arm binds him to the block and locks the lovers in an eternal parting embrace. In 1893 Cupid and Psyche and Orpheus and Eurydice became Rodin’s first carved works to enter an American collection.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cupid and Psyche
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Date: before 1893
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: Overall (wt. confirmed): 30 × 24 × 48 in., 496 lb. (76.2 × 61 × 121.9 cm, 225 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Thomas F. Ryan, 1910
  • Object Number: 10.63.1
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Young woman, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Young woman
Auguste Rodin
modeled probably before 1889, cast before 1912
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
last quarter 19th–early 20th century
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
20th century
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of three, before bevelled plate
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of 3
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.